Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh:End of Innocence
by RamenRenegade
Summary: The final battle for the fate of the ninja world has begun! Naruto must fight beyond, grief and self doubt to bring peace to the ninja world and become the Seventh Hokage! Witness the beginning of the End! This is Book III of the series.
1. That Which Can't be Crushed

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to the Chronicles of the Seventh! It's been a few months and really enjoyed my time off. Hope all of you have too. As always i like to begin by stating I don't own Naruto. That honor belongs to Misashi Kishimoto.

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**THANK YOU's**

I never got the chance to thank everyone who reviewed the final chapter of book II. So here you go. Thanks too: Maxslayer10, Vorgonaz, GravenImage, Airnaruto45, Queen brat, EmpKaylenatye, theloverofanime, Green5723, Calc, Kushina's Truth of Hell, ForwardRetreat, Buzzbumble, Maliousdei, Michael the Archangel, Sasuke K, Silentwhistle, Jiraiya561, SparrowAndPhoenix, 101FallingRock, Bikiluf, iiDarkness, DestroyDRT and Scr1bbles.

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**RESPONCES**

**Maxslayer10** - Glad you enjoyed the story but don't look for Naruto to rashly blame others here. In my story he's a bit older and wiser.

**Vorgonaz** - Sorry to tell you but Sakura is probably dead but likely not. But i'm glad you liked the fight scene she had. As for Madara, so far everything has happened according to his design so it won't be surprising if Naruto dies as planned.

**GravenImage** - Thanks dude.

**Airnaruto45** - Sakura is probably alive but most likely dead. :P

**Queen brat** - Hope i can help you answer those questions! If not I jump off the roof of my house as payment.

**EmpKaylenatye** - Yes, Sakura is definately, sort of, likely alive but probably dead.

**Green5723** - Wait no longer! Or...wait some more...whatever.

**Calc** - Dlad you liked it.

**Kushina** - Someone help! She just feinted! Someone get the poor girl some water! lol Glad you like this story, and my other series too. But if you are reading Blade of the Shinigami I wish you would review that too. :)

**ForwardRetreat** - You humble me with your praise. I thank you.

**Buzzbumble** - Canon Naruto is pathetic! Wash out your mouth i say! Just kidding. Seriously though I just think kishi wants to strip Naruto down before rebuilding him. My creative juices has been refilled! Hope you enjoy what i produce. (wait, why does that sound pervy.)

**Maliousdei** - Well, i don't know if I'm Kishi-san's level. I just try to do the best I can. Thanks though. No offense but I hope your assumtions of where I'm taking this story are wrong. Last thing i want to be is predictable.

**Michael** - Interesting theory as always Michael. You really want to see an ubber dark Naruto don't you? Lol. Oh well, my Naruto isn't going to go THAT dark but he will see some darkness.

**Sasuke K** - Glad you enjoy my work. Here's a little secret...I am Kishi! Mwhahahahaha!...ok not really.

**Silentwhistle** - Glad you liked it.

**Jiraiya561** - Thanks!

**SparrowAndPhoenix** - I'm glad you've been enjoying my story. And i hope it remains your favorite fan fic.

**101FallingRock** - Glad you liked it so far. I know I'll be able to deliver an equally epic third book.

**Bikiluf** - What? You didn;t like that line? Lol. Glad you enjoyed everything else. Lol

**iiDarkness** - Well, I'm glad you loved it so much. And I'm glad you added me to your Alerts. Hope you keep reading.

**DestroyerDRT** - Sakura is definatly, most, likely dead but probably not.

**Scr1bbles** - I'm glad you liked the first two books. And I hope you enjoy Book 3 as well.

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**MESSAGE FROM THE WRITER**

Ok, so after several months of waiting, Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh is back. I hope you enjoy Book III and **please** feel free to send a little **review** my way. Thanks!

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_******Akatsuki Prisons – Unknown location – Midday******_

"Get in there you stupid kid," yelled the burly man as he threw the young boy into a cell face first. With a broad sinister smile, the man said, "Hope you enjoy your stay kid!" The man then slammed shut the gate and walked away laughing.

Slowly the beaten and bruised boy sat up and rubbed his bruised arm. "Are you ok boy," came a voice from the shadows behind him. The boy turned and saw several men were scattered about the cell. An old man wearing tattered clothes, walked up to the boy and dropped to a knee. "Damn," he said as he looked the boy over. "Those bastards really worked you over. What kind of men would beat up an innocent child?"

"Here," the man said as he gently helped the boy to his feet. "Let me help you boy. Don't worry, there's nothing to fear here. We are all comrades. Like you we were unfairly imprisoned by Akatsuki forces under the claimed suspicion of being spies."

"What's your name son," the grizzled man asked. The boy didn't answer as he followed the man to a well where several men sat by. The man took a cup and dipped it into the dirty water and handed it to the boy. "You don't want to talk huh? I understand. Here, this might not be the cleanest but it'll keep you alive."

The boy grabbed the cup and drank it down without complaint. The boy then handed the cup back to the man as he looked on sadly. _To think they would do this to a child_, he thought.

"Ozuru," the boy said as he looked around the dank and poorly lit cell. The old man looked at the boy. "That's my name," the boy said.

"Ozuru," the old man said as they walked to a nearby wall and sat down together. "That's a fine name. Tell me, how did you end up here?"

For a moment Ozuru was silent and then said, "I was with my father, who was a merchant. We were traveling to Konoha when they decided to close their borders. When we reached the border the guards there told us that by order of the Hokage non citizens were not allowed entry. My father begged and pleaded and said he had come to Konoha many times. He said that the roads were becoming too dangerous and they couldn't expect us to just turn back."

"I could see in the guards face that he wanted to let us by," Ozuru said, "but his hands were tied and we had to turn back. But just like my father said, on our way back we were ambushed by Akatsuki soldiers. They captured us and accused us of being spies for Konoha."

The old man watched Ozuru as he spoke and saw tears flow from the boy's eyes. "They brought us here and questioned my father," Ozuru said. "But he didn't know anything. But they didn't believe him. So they…..they….."

The old man put his callused hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'm…..so sorry son," he said. "Those bastards! They'll pay for everything they've done. I just know it."

"Don't fill the boy's head with false hope Misato," another beaten down man said. "These Akatsuki threaten the entire world and are said to be possessed of unrivalled power. Nothing can stand against them."

"You're wrong," Ozuru said as he stared at the man. "My father once told me that where there is evil, there is good, where there is darkness, there is light and that hope can never be crushed. And I will live my life believing in those words."

The boy looked up and to his amazement everyone within the cell was on their feet, had gathered around and was looking at him.

"You see," said Misato as he addressed everyone. "How can we, as an older generation, not learn something from this child? Are we not supposed to be the strong ones? Are we not supposed to inspire the young and not the other way around!"

"We can't give up," he said. "We must find a way! We must pray that there is someone…..anyone out there that will put and end to this war and protect those as innocent as this boy."

All the men in the cells began to cheer and Ozuru, shocked by this, stood on his feet and stared at everyone. Misato looked at the boy and placed his hand on the boys shoulder and smiled.

In the days and weeks to come the Akatsuki guards that watched this place would come to notice a great difference in the prisoners. No matter how many they tortured, beaten, starved or killed, they all seemed to have an inner strength; a vigor and many of them even smiled. For it was on this day that a seed was planted within each of them, something that could not be crushed…..hope.

RamenRengade proudly presents…..

With Characters and locations created by Masashi Kishimoto

Naruto:

The Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III:

End of Innocence

Chapter I:

That Which Can't Be Crushed

_******Konoha Borders – Several weeks later******_

The ninja ran as quickly as he could along the branches of trees. Every few minutes he would stop and hide in the shadows. While there he would look for any signs that he was being followed. Once satisfied, he would continue moving repeating his actions every so often.

He was running late today but he had no choice, with the way things had been progressing lately Danzo had tightened up security. Getting out of Konoha undetected was becoming as difficult as getting in. Fortunately he was far more skilled than those tasked to watch for those attempting escape and the fact he was under no suspicion helped greatly as well.

The ninja looked up at the suns' position to gage the time. _Damn_, he thought to himself, _I'm later than I thought. I need to pick up the pace or I'll miss the meeting altogether. _

As he continued along the trees he heard a faint rustle in some nearby bushes. To the untrained ear it wouldn't have been detected. The ninja immediately stopped and found a hiding spot that gave him a clear view of the location where the sound came.

Pulling a kunai from his belt he stared at the surrounding area, ready to react to any threat. Despite being still well within Konoha's territory, this was still war time and there had been word that enemy troops had gotten inside. He had to be vigilant.

Eventually a snake slithered out from the bush with a field mouse trapped in its powerful jaw. Just to make sure the ninja stayed deathly still for another few minutes looking for any other signs of movement.

Satisfied, the ninja placed his kunai away and began to move towards his destination. A few minutes later the ninja came to the base of a small mountain range and again stopped to ensure he wasn't followed. He then walked over to the side of the range and pulled out a paper seal and stuck it to the wall.

He then created several hand signs and a portion of the mountain, about as big for an average sized person to comfortably pass through, opened up. The ninja looked around one last time before entering the space and the wall closed behind him.

The ninja walked down a long path that was roughly cut through the mountain until he could see flickering light a short distance away and muffled speech from several people.

He quickly entered a relatively small cavern, lit by several dozen candles placed on holders which were nailed on the walls circling around. Several book cases were up against the wall and contained many scrolls and in the center of the room was a large, wooded, circle shaped desk and seated there were several familiar faces.

Everyone looked to see the ninja enter and then one woman said, "It's about time you got here Gai. We were beginning to think you wouldn't be able to make it. Were you followed?"

With a bright smile and a thumbs' up Gai responded, "Of course not Lady Hokage! No one can track Konoha's Green Beast! Sorry for the delay though."

Tsunade glared at Gai for a moment before motioning to the empty seat. "Alright," she said, "have a seat and let's get this meeting started. We won't have much time before people start asking where we all are."

Tsunade looked around at the group gathered about her: Might Gai, Aburame Shibi, Hyuga Hiashi, Akimichi Choza, Yamanaka Inoichi, Nara Shikaku, Yuhi Kurenai, Morino Ibiki and Imino Iruka.

"All right," Tsunade said, "Let's begin."

_******Meanwhile – Kirigakure – Private Medical Ward******_

Madara strolled confidently down the hallway as he made his way to the double doors ahead. Swinging them open he entered a sterile medical room where Sasuke was laying on a bed. His eyes were heavily wrapped in bandages, as was his right hand. Tending to him was Karin and as usual, not far away sat both Jugo and Suigetsu.

"So," Madara said, "how's our patient?"

Karin and the others looked at Madara. Despite working with him for the past several years it was obvious none of them neither liked nor trusted the man, which didn't bother Madara in the least. To him their trust was meaningless and their opinion irrelevant.

"I think he's ready," Karin said cautiously.

"Excellent," Marada said. "Sasuke you healed faster than I thought you would. You never cease to amaze me." Madara stood at the foot of the bed and folded his arms. "All right," he said to Karin. "Let's see what we've got."

Karin took a deep breath as Suigetsu stood up and walked over, leaving Jugo seated behind. Karin then slowly began to remove the bandages until they were gone. For a while everyone just waited for Sasuke to try to open his eyes.

Slowly Sasuke opened then and was momentarily overwhelmed by the bright lights. Eventually he began to blink and his vision became less and less blurry until he was able to see clearly. Expressionless, Sasuke looked around the room and at everyone before saying, "It looks like it was a success."

Karin exhaled in relief as Madara said, "Don't be so sure yet. Activate your Mangekyo."

Sasuke closed his eyes and when they opened everyone could see the familiar eye patterns of his Mangekyo Sharingan. "Yes," Sasuke said, "I can feel it. I can feel Itachi's power within me!"

"Hmm," Madara said, "Excellent! It will still take some time for you to get used to things but you should be ready to go in no time." Behind his mask, Madara smiled. _Just one more step Sasuke_, he thought to himself. _Just one more step and everything will be ready._

Sasuke then raised his right arm and looked at the bandages at the end of it. "Karin," he said, "please remove these bandages as well."

Karin looked to the bandages at the end of Sasuke wrist, where his lost right hand was and thought back to that morning Sasuke had cut his hand off. She remembered the blood, Sasuke's scream, and mostly his eyes.

Karin took the scissors and cut away the bandages and as they fell away Sasuke stared at what was underneath…..his new right hand. Karin looked at Sasuke and his new hand and began to recall how this came to be.

_******Hidden Storage facility of the Uchiha Clan – Two Weeks Ago******_

Karin, Jugo and Suigetsu stood at the base of the hill as they watched Sasuke work alone at the top. Against Karin's objections Sasuke had decided to forgo further rest to heal his wounds after his fight with Sakura. Instead, as soon as he was able, he along with his team left to go to his brothers' burial site.

Once they arrived, Sasuke as usual, remained at the base of the hill for a moment, as if in a moment of reverence, before making his way up. This time however, Karin had noticed Sasuke had a shovel in his left hand.

"Stay here," he said as he made his way up. Sasuke always said that as he would leave. Karin never understood why. No one ever seemed interested in going with him. In fact, no one besides Sasuke had ever gone up there and never tried. They knew that was his place, his and his brothers. If any tried he would probably kill them.

Sasuke then ascended the hill and, as was his custom, stood with his back to Itachi's grave and looked out to the sea. Standing there he would speak in hushed tones to his brother, about what, Karin could only guess.

After a few moments Sasuke turned to face the grave and taking the shovel into his left hand began to dig. With only one hand and still weakened from his recent battle, it took Sasuke several hours to reach Itachi's casket and once he did he climbed down into the hole, removed a sharp blade and swiftly did what had to be done.

Once finished, he wrapped the item in a dry cloth and climbed out. He then quickly got to work refilling the hole until it was neat once again. Sasuke then said a few more words and then walked down where Taka was waiting.

Sweating heavily and gasping for breath He handed the wrapped item and a scroll to Karin and said, "I took this scroll from Orochimaru when I left. It's a version of Edo Tensei. Do you think you'd be able to use it on this?"

Karin opened the scroll and read it quickly. Her mouth opened in awe before she turned to Sasuke and said, "Yes. I think I can."

"Good," Sasuke said as he collapsed into Jugo's arms from exhaustion. Leaning on Jugo, Sasuke and the others left.

_******KiriGakure Private Medical Ward – Now******_

For a while Sasuke simply stared at his brothers' hand, using his Mangekyo to stare into it and look as the blood flowed back and forth through his veins. Then, slowly, he began to move his fingers one by one. They were stiff and he felt pain as he moved them. But he knew he pain would fade in time. Finally he formed a fist and groaned as a jolt of pain shot through his hand. Once it subsided he formed a fist several more times before squeezing his fist as hard as he could. Satisfied with the result, Sasuke smiled slightly. _Brother_, he thought to himself, _you will have a hand in shaping this new world._

_******Meanwhile – Konoha Borders – Hidden Location******_

"And that's the situation," Shikaku said as everyone listened silently. "Naruto and Shikamaru are prisoners of war. Rock Lee, Kiba Izunaka and Neji Hyuga are missing in action and presumed dead and Sakura Haruno is confirmed killed in action. However everyone else loyal to our cause is almost prepared to move. Once the final preparations are made we can begin."

"Good," Tsunade said she looked down, lost in her own thoughts.

"However," Shikaku said, "We do have two issues that need to be addressed. The loss of Haruno Sakura is a major problem. She was to play a major role in our operation. We need to find someone to fill her role. Someone with similar abilities."

"How about Ino," Inoichi said, "Her abilities may not be on par with Sakura but I think she has what it takes to do it."

For a moment Tsunade was quiet, her fist balled and tight with rage. _Sakura_, she thought. Finally she spoke, "Ino may not be ready for such a burden. Perhaps it's best if I do it myself."

"No Lady Hokage," Kurenai said, "you already have your role that only you can perform. To ask you to do more would spread you too thin."

"Kurenai is right," Iruka said, "You can't possibly do both. It has to be Ino."

"Fine," Tsunade said, "I just hope she's up to it."

"There's also the problem with Naruto," Shikaku said. "That joke of a trial is to begin in a few days. Naruto's role in our plans is critical. What should we do?"

"There's no way Naruto and Shikamaru will pass this trial," Choza said. "I think we should strongly consider mounting a rescue operation."

"No," Tsuande responded. "Right now Gaara has been going easy on Konoha because he really doesn't want to fight this war. But if we try to break into Suna to rescue those two it'll be seen as an act of aggression. Gaara will have no choice then but to go all out. At this point Konoha has it hard enough dealing with Kumo. And now Akatsuki and Iwagakure are on the move and we're even hearing rumblings of Kirigakure making moves."

Tsunade looked directly at Shikaku and said, "Right now they're on their own. But I wouldn't worry," Tsunade said with a smile, "Shikamaru at this point is probably smarter than all of us here. And Naruto….well he has a way of making miracles happen. Those two will be just fine."

_******Sunagakure Prisons******_

Shikamaru sat on the ground with his back against the far wall of his prison cell. As he gently banged the back of his head against the wall he stared at the ceiling. "Argh," he yelled. "Man I can't take this anymore! I thought our trial was supposed to happen within a few days! It's been nearly a month! Man, I can't believe I'm saying this but I wished they'd get on with it already. And if I have to eat another bowl of plain rice I'm gonna kill someone! This is all so damned troublesome!"

Shikamaru looked across the cell at Naruto who was sitting on the ground with his legs crossed and eyes closed in silent meditation. "I don't get it," Shikamaru said, "Aren't you supposed to be the high strung one? How come you're so calm?"

Naruto didn't answer. Shikamaru stared silently at his friend. Several weeks ago, Naruto woke him up in the middle of the night in a rage. He said Madara, leader of Akatsuki, had somehow contacted him in his dreams and among the other things he'd told him was startling news that Sakura was recently killed at the hands of Sasuke of all people.

Shikamaru tried to assure him that it was just a dream. But Naruto then explained that using his Sage chakra he confirmed that Sakura's chakra completely disappeared. Shikamaru didn't want to believe it but as time passed he had to admit that this may have actually happened.

From that point he noticed a marked change in Naruto. Naruto no longer smiled, hardly talked and spent most of his time meditating or reading that small scroll he had taken from Lady Tsunade. There was sadness in every word he spoke, and anger.

Suddenly the door to the cells opened and two guards entered. Behind them was Krolik. As he entered he said to the guards, "You can go. I'll be fine." The guards turned and left, closing the door behind them.

Smiling, Krolik addressed the prisoners, "Hello gentleman. Have our accommodations been up to your standards?"

Shikamaru got to his feet and stepped closer to Krolik and asked, "What are you doing here Krolik? I thought you'd be too busy kissing Gaara's ass to come here."

"Now, now Shikamaru," Krolik said, "No need to be hostile; especially when I'm here to offer you two a way to avoid execution. After all, Naruto's death is not something my master wants. In fact it's the complete opposite."

Naruto slowly opened his eyes which now looked like that of the Nine Tails. "Your master," he asked. "So I assume he's been in contact with you recently?"

Krolik looked at Naruto and said, "Yes of course. And he's very interested in keeping you alive."

"I see," Naruto said. Suddenly Naruto leapt to his feet and cleared the space between he a Krolik in seconds. He grabbed Krolik by the throat and lifted him of the ground.

Shocked, Shikamaru screamed, "Naruto, what the fuck do you think you're doing?"

"He's not talking about Gaara, Shikamaru," Naruto said. "He's talking about Madara. This bastard is an Akatsuki spy!"

Krolik desperately clutched at Naruto's vice like grip and struggled in vein to get free. Gasping for air he said, "Let…go…..you bastard!"

"Listen to me Krolik," Naruto said as his body now glowed red, "I'm only going to give you one chance. Your master has crossed a line and you are going to help me find him. I want you to tell me right now where he is. Tell me, or I will snap your neck like a twig."

_End of Chapter One_

_Next Time: Naruto Unleashed_


	2. Naruto Unleashed

**Introduction**

Thank you returning to The Chronicles of the Seventh. As usual I like to begin by saying I don 't own Naruto. I just borrow it without permission for my own purposes. Lol!

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**Thank You's**

Thank you to all who have read my first chapter and added this story to your favorites and alerts list. And a special thanks to those who reviewed my last chapter: Autumn Flower, maliousdei, dark waffle, 101fallingrock, maxslayer10, iiDarkness, GravenImage, FoxSage19, aej1085, Bikiluf, theloverofanime, Kushina's Truth of Hell, airnaruto45, Vorgonaz, charles cdv, dragonshaun9, Silver Senpai, Erokage, Sasuke K, ZnudzonY, Jyuubi6 and buzzbumble.

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**Responces**

**Awtumn Flower** - First off, your name...is beautiful. Secondly...I update weekly. No worries.

**maliousdei** - I hope my OC's are good too. Lol. I only added a few and I have a clear vision for them that hoefully only enhances the story. As far as the chapter count I really have no set number. TBH, at one point I was planning to make this story a 4 part story as opposed to 3. But I decided to condense it. Hope it still works.

**dark waffle **- Glad you liked the last chapter of Book II. Hopefully I can keep it up. I'm glad you liked the whole thing with Ozuru and his father. I really wanted to show how bad things have been progressing since the end of Book II. I thought using them just to let you guys know things have gone to hell.

Sasuke...sigh...is evil yes. However, my hope is to show he has a bit more depth than what we've seen in the cannon manga. I want my Sasuke to to be someone we see is struggling with the decisions he's been making yet makes them none the less.

Sakura is fine. She's in a better place. One with bright sun, rainbows and waterfalls. Cry not for Konoha's Cherry Blossum.

**101FallingRock** - Glad you enjoyed things so far. I'll try my best to maintain a high level. Thank you for putting this on your list.

**maxslayer10** - Thanks. Have you heard this title before. Aww. Here i thought it was a RR original.

**iiDarkness **- I don't mind long reviews. Detailed reviews make my day. :) My break was restful and needed. I started getting a bit overwhelmed trying to stick to my weekly schedule and i also wanted to restart my BoS fanfic as well.

Yes, I've noticed that my work improved over time as well. This is mostly because I began to become comfortable with the Fanfic format of writing and began to develop a clear idea in terms of presentation. Plus I was able to settle in to a set schedule for writing that helped me feel less rushed.

I'm glad you hold some work n such high esteem. Maybe I'm not advertising my story enough but I'm happy with the readership I get weekly. I get a few thousand readers a week and it's really more than i could have dreamed when I started. But hey, feel free to tell your friends about my work. Nothing works better than word of mouth.

As for **GravenImage**, I've heard he himself is a dedicated and amazing writer. i have never read his work personally. Only because I have a rule about reading other Naruto fics. I don't. as i don't want what i read to influence what i write. But I plan to read his work once I'm done. Speaking of which...

**GravenImage** - Hello GI. Pronouncing my fic a hit after only one chapter? Lol. Now the pressure really is on. Lol. I do plan to add certain things from recent canon developments so long as it doesn't interrupt the flow of the story or feel forced.

**FoxSage19** - Thanx.

**aej1085** - Thanx.

**Bikiluf** - True. But remember when I wrote that chapter we didnt know that yet. :P Thanx though.

**theloverofanime** - A small glimmer of hope for what i wonder? :P Yes, it is kinda nasty what Sasuke did. But he's a desperate man.

**Kushina's ToH **- I can force them and i will. Lol. You see I look at it like I'm Obama and your reviews are like votes. And I'll do anything for them! I'll kiss your baby! Lol

Shikamaru is in a strange position right now. He's a guy who likes to have control of the situation and right now he has none and is forced to rely on a guy who has no plan. And if they fail they die. Not the best place to be.

So, you may review my other work? Yes! Kissing your baby worked! lol!

**airnaruto45** - Gasp! A NS fanfic without the "S"! Lol! It's ok Air. Sakura is in a good place. A better place. A place with rainbows, clear sunny days and waterfalls. Cry not for her.

**Vorganz** - Good to be Back. I missed doing this. Did I overuse that word? Maybe. Perhaps i'll edit that. My plans for Sakura are...ummm...none...since she's...you know...in the land with rainbows and waterfalls. Also, i'm glad you liked my intro.

**charles cdv** - Thanx.

**dragonshaun9** - i have a question for you. Is there a dragonshaun8? Anyway, you should sit down. Don't wanna have you pass out there bud. Lol.

**Silver Senpai** - Hey there OMF brother. Gald you stopped by. Gald you're enjoying things.

**Erokage** - Thanx.

**Sasuke K** - Hey another OMF brother! Awww, I guess you didn't like ch 1 as much as previous ones. What didn't work for you I wonder? Feel free to let me know. :) Sakura = land of Rainbows and waterfalls.

**ZnudzonY **- Shikamaru is out of his element in many ways and i really want him to be a bit of the comedic relief. Not his normal canon role I know. But I just see him this way in my story. But fear not, his role will expand and he will have an integral role to play soon. Fear not for Sakura. BTw, did you know that in some lands Cherry Blossoms can bloom twice?

**Jyuubi6 **- Man, you really want Naruto to just go really dark don't you? Lol.

**buzzbumble** - Thanks for the catch. *slaps forehead* I can't believe I made that mistake. It has been corrected.

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**Message from RR**

Ok, so after the past week I've received private messages, reviews, bricks through my window, computer viruses and death threats because I killed off Sakura. All I can say is "thank you' to all the fans who feel passionately about this topic. Just know that what happened to Sakura was necessary in my mind, for Naruto's current and future development and i hope you will all come to understand. Again, cry not for Sakura. She's in a land of waterfalls, rainbows and clear skys. BTW, did you guys know that in Indonesia Cherry Blossoms can bloom twice a year? Fun Fact.

Also, I've been getting thoughts from readers who would like Naruto to go super dark. Even evil. Just remember guys that though my mission is to grow and expand on the personalities of these characters, thier core personalities won't change too much. Remember, this story is supposed to be close to, yet different from, the canon manga. :)

Ok, with that here is chapter two of End of Innocence. Enjoy. And **please** feel free to **review** this chapter.

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Naruto: The Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter II: Naruto Unleashed

_******Sunagakure - Prisons – Early Evening******_

Krolik hung suspended in the air, as Naruto's hand squeezed his windpipe tighter and tighter. Slowly his head began pounding as his brain grew increasingly deprived of oxygen. His ear drums began to pound and he began to turn pale. As he fought to struggle out of Naruto's grip he could feel all energy slowly slipping away. _I'm_, he thought in a moment of sheer panic, _I'm going to die. This is how it ends._

Shikamaru pulled at Naruto's shoulder, desperately trying to tear him away. He was shocked that despite being locked away in a prison cell after a month long coma, Naruto was surprisingly strong. No matter how hard he tried, Shikamaru couldn't budge him.

"Naruto," Shikamaru said, "You gotta let him go! Doing this will only make things worse for us. Let him go now!"

Naruto looked back at Shikamaru harshly and then back at Krolik, who by now began to turn a pale shade of blue. Naruto then let him go and Krolik limply fell to the ground.

Krolik gabbed at his neck and began violently gasping for air. Naruto turned from him in disgust and walked away and stared out of the small barred window.

As Krolik coughed and sputtered the two guards that had accompanied him hurried back into the cells and seeing Krolik, drew their kunai. Naruto looked back and stared harshly at them and Shikamaru could tell things were going to get problematic in a hurry.

Naruto turned and slowly began to walk towards the guards when Shikamaru quickly jumped between them. "Hold on guys," he said smiling, "This is just one big misunderstanding ok. Let's not do something we'd all regret. Let's all just calm down."

Finally Krolik got to his feet and still rubbing his sore neck he yelled, "Calm down? You're a psychopath who should be thrown in a cage like the animal you are!"

Looking back at Naruto who began to pace back and forth like a caged lion Shikamaru then turned back to Krolik and said, "If I were you Krolik I'd judge my next few words very carefully."

For a moment Krolik stared harshly at Shikamaru and then at Naruto. "Fine," Krolik said, "I can see how tensions can cause people to lose themselves. Guards, you can go now. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure sir," one of the guards said. "This guy seems pretty dangerous. Perhaps it's best we stay with you."

"No, no," Krolik said, "As Shikamaru said, this is just a misunderstanding. Everything is fine. Please, leave us."

The guards looked wearily at Naruto who was still pacing back and forth and then left. Once gone Krolik looked angrily at Naruto and said, "How dare you treat me this way! I'm an elder of this village and trust me I won't go easy on you next time!"

"Yes," Naruto said mockingly, "I can see how easy you were taking it on me a few minutes ago. I may have let you go but what I said still stands. Tell me where Madara is now!"

"Hold on a second Naruto," Shikamaru said and then looked to Krolik, "Is what Naruto said true Krolik? Are you Akatsuki?"

Krolik smiled and said, "Please Shikamaru. Look at your friend over there. Obviously the man is losing control of himself. Perhaps he's spent too long in prison. I am a high ranking elder within Suna and nothing more."

Suddenly, hearing these words threw Naruto into a rage and he leapt to grab Krolik again. "You lying sack of shit," he yelled.

Acting quickly Shikamaru created several hand signs and said, "Shadow Imitation jutsu!" Shikamaru's shadow then quickly stretched out and merged with Naruto and Krolik's shadows causing both men to stop instantly in their tracks, with Naruto's hand only inches from Krolik.

"Let me go Shikamaru," Naruto yelled, "I'm tired of this bastards lies!"

"Right now Naruto it's hard to judge who's lying with you acting like this," Shikamaru said. "If I were you Krolik I'd start telling the truth. I can't promise I can hold him back very long."

"Damn you Shikamaru," Krolik said, "Naruto wouldn't dare kill me. It would defiantly spell his own death."

"Really," Shikamaru said with a smile, "A second ago you referred to him as a…..What was it again? Oh yes, a psychopath. And you and I both know how hard it is to predict what someone like that might do."

Krolik turned pale with fright and looked into Naruto's eyes. In them all he could see was his own death. "Y-You," he said, "You wouldn't let him go Shikamaru. He might have lost his senses but you haven't."

Smiling, Shikamaru replied, "I don't know Krolik. I'm already facing a death sentence. I'm not really sure how much worse it could get for me. Besides, I never liked you anyway."

Krolik could only look on in horror as Naruto began to slowly break free of Shikamaru's jutsu and inch closer and closer.

"However," Shikamaru said as he again forced Naruto to freeze. "You're right. It's not my nature to just let someone die. But the real problem is I can't hold Naruto for long even if I wanted to. Naruto, as you know, is a Jinchuricki, which means he's got way more chakra than I do. I figure I can only hold him for another couple minutes at best."

Again Naruto began to move closer and closer which caused Krolik to burst into a cold sweat. "I can't really hold him much longer Krolik," Shikamaru said. "If I were you I'd start talking."

Krolik stared at Naruto for a long moment before swallowing hard. A small smile appeared on his face and without taking his eyes off of Naruto he said, "Damn you Shikamaru. You always were a damned good negotiator. You're a true prodigy! Yes, I am Akatsuki. And I have been for many years. The question is: how did you know Naruto?"

Naruto seemed to calm down a bit and then said, "About a year ago, while I was hunting for any information regarding Akatsuki I came across a rouge ninja suspected of working for Akatsuki."

_******Land of Earth – One Year ago - Midday******_

The Land of Earth is a large and desolate place and as hard a place to live as the Land of Wind. Very little plant life or animal life can be found here outside of the toughest of animals. On a lonely, windswept mountain range a figure can be seen running.

The man breathed hard as he pushed himself as much as he could. The sun was beating down on him mercilessly and his mouth was dry. But still he pushed on frantically through the desert sun. Looking back he could see the outline of his pursuer, through the haze in the distance.

_Damn_, he thought to himself, _this guy just doesn't give up. He's been chasing me like this for half a day. I can't keep this up. I'm going to have to take this bastard out._

Several hundred yards back the man's pursuer ran at an even pace, neither sprinting nor jogging. He wore a dirty red coat and a hood. The man he was chasing was a rouge ninja, suspected of being a member of Akatsuki.

For years it was believed Akatsuki was a small group of highly trained, elite rouge ninja. After the past few years he had learned that this wasn't entirely correct. Though the upper echelons of Akatsuki was apprised of a handful of elite ninja, Akatsuki had been secretly gathering lesser rouge ninja and even supposed loyal ninja under its banner. Akatsuki had evolved from a small mercenary group into an army.

The hooded man ran up a small bluff flanked by two large boulders. He had lost sight of his target several minutes ago when he ran through here and now he was trying to pick up his trail again. The man then pushed his hood back to reveal that it was Naruto. Naruto had a light beard and tired eyes. He'd been hunting this guy for two days non-stop. Pulling a canteen from his back pocket Naruto took a quick drink and placed it back and began to look for signs of where the ninja went.

Suddenly the target leapt from the top of the boulder armed with two explosive kunai and threw them at the Naruto who quickly leapt clear of the blasts and pulled out two kunai to defend himself.

The ninja quickly closed in trying to take Naruto off guard and began swinging two more kunai at Naruto's throat and stomach. Naruto quickly blocked each attack and as the ninja lunged with a forward thrust Naruto threw one kunai at his head forcing him to dodge in mid attack, which forced the ninja into an awkward, off balance stance.

Taking this momentary opening, Naruto grabbed the ninja's wrist with his free hand and forced the kunai out of his hand and then kicked him back against the boulder.

Before the ninja could recover, Naruto had a kunai at his throat. "You've been giving me a hard time kid," the ninja said. "Who the hell are you?"

"Uzumaki Naruto," Naruto said.

The ninja looked at him in amazement. "Uzumaki," he said. _Every Akatsuki member is under strict orders to report this guys location to the higher ups_, the ninja recalled.

"Humph," the ninja said. "It's pretty stupid to go hunting the very group that's hunting you kid. Akatsuki is a group to be feared."

Naruto smiled and said, "Wow, I didn't expect you to admit that you are an Akatsuki agent so easily."

"I could have lied," the Ninja said, "But would it have made a difference?"

"Nope," Naruto replied.

"So what the hell do you want," the ninja said.

"That should be fairly obvious," Naruto said, "I want all information you have on Akasuki; specifically their whereabouts."

The Ninja laughed spitefully. "You must be naïve or think I'm a fool," he said, "Even If I knew I'd never say. If I do, I'll not only be killed but my family as well. Besides us lesser ninja never speak to anyone within the inner circle. We have contacts who relay instructions to us. I'm not telling you a damned thing else."

Naruto pressed the kunai against the ninja's throat causing a slight bit of blood to trickle down his neck. "If you don't talk I'll kill you here," Naruto said.

"Please kid," the ninja said, "I've fought many people who've wanted me dead. I've seen the intent to kill in their eyes and you don't have it. So why don't you kiss my ass huh?"

"Are you sure you want to…," Naruto said when he felt a sharp pain in his upper back. He saw the sinister smile on the ninja's chest and then the ninja disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Standing behind Naruto was the ninja. He had stabbed Naruto in the back. Naruto's face turned pale and he turned to see the smiling ninja behind him before falling backwards to the ground. "You really shouldn't be so over confident," said the ninja, "just because I'm not a member of Akatsuki's inner circle doesn't mean I should be taken lightly. I happen to be a master of the Shadow Clone technique."

To the ninja's surprise, Naruto also disappeared in a puff of smoke and behind him he heard Naruto say, "What a coincidence." As soon as the ninja turned around Naruto punched him hard in the face causing him to fall to the ground hard.

"I happen to have some experience with Shadow Clones myself," Naruto said with a smile. "Now where were we? Oh yes, you were going to give me the name of your contact."

The ninja grimaced and rubbed his jaw. "Bastard," he said as he looked at Naruto. Naruto began to walk closer to the ninja when the ninja pulled two pellets from his belt and slammed them to the ground and big puff of dark smoke plumed into the air.

Naruto covered his face as he raised a kunai in front of him defensively. _Smoke bomb_, Naruto thought to himself as he tried to see where the ninja had gone.

Using the temporary distraction the ninja leapt out of the smoke and sprinted up the bluff. Out of the corner of his eye, Naruto spotted him and quickly gave chase.

A few moments later the Ninja came to a quick stop as the bluff came to a brief end. The ninja looked down and saw that it was a long plummet down and jagged rocks at the bottom.

"Looks like you have no place to go," Naruto said as he stood watching the ninja. "Why don't you tell me what you know and maybe I'll let you go."

The ninja turned to face Naruto and for a moment just stared at him. He then looked back at the long drop behind him and then turned back to Naruto and smiled. Without a word the ninja backed off the ledge and plummeted to the bottom as Naruto ran to the edge and screamed, "No!"

"Damn it," Naruto said as he saw the ninja's body lying at the bottom. Naruto turned and ran down the hill and then went around and down to where the ninja's broken body lay.

As Naruto approached the body he was shocked to see the ninja was alive lying in a pool of his blood. Naruto quickly ran up and kneeled down next to him. Naruto could quickly tell the ninja was moments from death. _Damn_, he thought, _If only I had medic training maybe I could do something._

"Hey," Naruto said, "Give me a name. You're about to die. These Akatsuki don't give a damn about you and they plan to destroy this world. You said it yourself, you have a family. If they aren't stopped your family could be in harms way."

The ninja smiled and Naruto could see his blood stained teeth. The ninja then opened his mouth in an effort to talk and Naruto leaned forward to hear. The last thing the ninja was able to whisper was, "Krolik." Naruto felt the ninja shiver slightly and then died.

_******Sunagakure – Prisons – Present Day******_

"At the time I had no idea who you were," Naruto said. "And it was nearly impossible to get much more information about you from other Akatsuki I came across. It wasn't until just over a month ago that I finally got a first name and realized who you were, Hiura Krolik. But before I could make my way here to confront you I was called back to Konoha and I had to put it on hold."

Krolik smiled wickedly. "I see," he said. "I guess you just can't trust anyone these days."

"I don't get it Krolik," Shikamaru said, "You've always been an asshole, but I would never think you would be a traitor. Why would you do this?"

"My reasons are my own," Krolik responded. "It really doesn't matter at all anyway. You knowing the truth doesn't change a thing."

"Oh really," Naruto said. "I wonder how Gaara will feel after hearing this."

Krolik laughed and asked, "Exactly how do you intend to prove that I'm Akatsuki. It's not like I'll just admit it to him and the only proof you have is the confession of a rouge ninja who died long ago. And after I tell Gaara of your actions today Naruto, your word won't exactly be easy to believe."

"You bastard," Naruto yelled as he began to pull out of Shikamaru's technique and get closer to Krolik. Shikamaru grimaced under the strain of trying to hold Naruto.

"If I were you," Shikamaru said, "I'd hurry along with telling us your offer. I can't hold this guy much longer."

"Madara has given you a chance to save your friends Naruto," Krolik said. "Give up yourself to Akatsuki and Madara will not invade Konoha and Shikamaru will be released. If you don't, Madara will send his forces to Konoha and kill every man, woman and child and you will watch as Shikamaru is put to death."

Hearing this pushed Naruto over the edge and he broke free of Shikamaru's jutsu, grabbed Krolik by the neck and slammed him against the wall.

"Stop Naruto," Shikamaru yelled.

"No," Naruto yelled back. "I'm sick of this Shikamaru! All I've ever done is try to do what right! To always take the high road! But what has it gotten me? Every decision I've made has caused the deaths of someone close to me! Pervy-Sage, Kakashi, Sakura! They've all been taken from me! All these bastards respect is force! Well, they will respect me! I'll find each and every Akatsuki member and rip them to shreds! I'll bathe the earth in their blood!"

"Fine," Shikamaru said solemnly. "You want to give into vengeance like Sasuke did? Fine. I can't say I would blame you. But if you think this will somehow make us happy seeing you this way you're wrong. Naruto for years you've fought to get Sasuke back, because you knew the path he's chosen will lead to only misery. How can you think it will be any different for you?"

"Find them all," Shikamaru said, "And kill them all. But in the end a part of you will die as well. The part of you that we all look up to. The part all your friends believe in, fight for and have died to protect. This isn't who Naruto is. Revenge, isn't what you do."

Naruto let go of Krolik who landed with a thud. He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned pale all the while his head was bent low. Shikamaru could then see drip of water falling in front of Naruto and he knew he was crying.

"Then what am I supposed to do Shikamaru," he asked. With tears in his eyes, Naruto looked at his friend. "Because I don't know anymore," he said. "Everything I've tried has failed. No matter how strong I get I can't seem to protect anyone. And Sasuke….I can't save him. I know that now. So what's the point? Why fight to be better when in the end better isn't good enough!"

"Because better is who you are," Shikamaru said. "Naruto, I'm not the best guy when it comes to blind faith. But when it comes to you, there's something about you that makes people put their faith in you. You, make miracles happen. And I know you can do it again. That's the amount of faith I have, we all have, in you. Now get you're ass up, stop crying like a damned idiot and help me find a way out of this shit."

Naruto laughed. "Right," he said. "You're right. Krolik, go tell your master to go hell. I'll find my own way out of this and then I'll find him and kick his ass."

Krolik dusted himself off and got to his feet. "You're making a mistake," he said as he turned to leave. "This was your last chance to protect your friends and home. Now you'll watch them all burn."

"You're wrong," Naruto replied. "You and Akatsuki will fail Krolik, because you underestimate us. The faith my friends have in me and the faith KillerBee's friends have in him will give us the strength to stop you."

Just as Krolik opened the cell to leave he paused. "KillerBee," he said. "Oh I see. You haven't heard yet have you?"

"Heard what," Naruto asked.

Keeping his back to Naruto Krolik said, "Two days ago an Akatsuki shinobi by the name of Hoshigaki Kisame infiltrated Kumogakure. Your friend, KillerBee, the Eight Tails Jinchuriki, has already been taken." With a small smile on his face Krolik left a stunned Naruto in his cell.

End of Chapter Two

Next Time: Legacy of the Bee


	3. Legacy of the Bee

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to the End of Innocence. As always I like to begin by saying I don't own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

A special thank to everyone who reviewed my last chapter: SwitchMagic; GravenImage; Maxslayer10; iiDarkness; maliousdei; 101FallingRock; Kushina's Truth of Hell; Pinulu; Kyuubi; airnaruto45; FoxSage19; charles cdv; Bikiluf; theloverofanime; Sasuke K; Codegeasslulu and Diamond Man.

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**RESPONCES**

**SwitchMagic:** Thanx

**GravenImage:** Naruto's core personality will never change IMO. Yes, this chapter is all about the Kumo Nin. Hope you enjoy it. No. In my story Naruot has already conquered the 9T. There's really no point to add the WoT. Kushina, may make an appearance, in some form, later on.

**maxslayer10:** Whew! For a second there i thought i accidentally copied this title from something.

**iiDarkness: **Glad you're willing to give me the benefit of the doubt when it comes to Sakura. You'll see, what happened to her will have a profound affect on Naruto moving forward. Yep, I get almost 3000 hits per release and close to 2000 readers. I'm not sure how good that is in comparison to others but I'm satisfied. But hey, you guys can always tell your friends about my story. :)

**maliousdei:** Well, i try. If i'm even close then I'm happy about it. thanks. Death Note rocks! i've been thinking of doind a Dn fanfic. But i can't do it until this one is done.

**101FallingRock:** Ha! Now how did Naruto remind you of Wolverine I wonder? Please let me know.

**Kushina's:** Awww! But i'm so good with kids. Yep, I'm like Obama mixed with the Rock. Obama + the Rock= Ramen. Glad you liked the Naruto and Shikamaru convo. With, jman and Kakashi gone, Shika has really stepped in to be Naruto's voice of reason. Sorry to say, I've had way too much trouble re-creating KB's rapping persona so you won't find too much of that here. He'll be more like he was back in Book II. Sakura is...Lol!

**Pinulu: **Thanx. Such praise is humbling.

**Jyuubi6:** I knew it! You are trying to take over! Great, so if this story takes a turn and starts to suck I can blame you. LMAO!

Interesting threory. However, in the canon (and my story) a biju when bonded with a host becomes that persons lifeline, regardless of whether the host tries to keep thier chakra seperated or not. No matter what, if you lose your Biju the host dies. Glad you liked Shikamaru BTW.

**airnaruto45:** Such violence! Love the Home Alone reference BTW! "Merry Christmas ya filthy animal...and a happy New Year. *Blam!*

Oh, and Sakura is...Mwhahahaha!

**FoxSage19:** Yep, you are right. This chapter and the next.

**charles cdv:** Thanx

**Bikiluf:** Maybe I'll right a fic Naruto: Chronicles of Sparta! I can make Naruto into the God of War!

**theloverofanime:** He's not captured yet. Just because Krolik said it doesn't mean it's true. Lol. Well, anyway I am trying to keep things interesting. Wait till you see what i have in store for a few of the other characters. Things will truely get dark before the light arrives. I will bathe the ground with the blood of Konoha! Naruto may become the Hokage, but the real question is, how many will survive to see it. Lol.

**Sasuke K: **Thanx

**Codegeasslulu:** Thanx. Hoe i can keep it up.

**Diamond Man: **Are you made of real diamonds? That must suck. Anyway, glad you like what I'm doing. What about her death didn't you like BTW? Please let me know.

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MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR

Ok, so here is Chapter 3. And as i've said in the responces, this chapter is all about the Kumo nin, as will the chapter 4. After that we'll be heading elsewhere. Hope you enjoy. And **please** feel free to **review** this chapter and let me know what you think.

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Naruto: The Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter III: Legacy of the Bee

_******Sunagakure – Prisons******_

_Hachibi-sama_, Naruto thought as he stood frozen in place. _No way! They…..they could have gotten him. Krolik has to be lying! _Naruto stood staring out into an empty void as Krolik's words echoed throughout his mind. His arms and legs felt like lead and his mouth stood slightly agape.

"Naruto," Shikamaru said, "Are you all right? Just because Krolik said that doesn't mean it's true. In fact I wouldn't take what he said seriously at all. We should ask Gaara or Temari when we see them to confirm what's going on before jumping to conclusions."

Naruto looked at his friend and smiled weakly. "Yeah," Naruto said, "Perhaps you're right. Killer Bee is strong. There's no way they could have got him."

_******Kumogakure – Office of the Raikage – Two days ago******_

The Raikage stood staring out his window with a stern look on his face. His hands were folded behind his back and his legs spread slightly as he looked out over his home and beyond. Bent on one knee in front of the Raikage's large desk was a shinobi.

"….and that is the current situation Lord Raikage," the ninja said. "Karui and Omoi are already at the borders to the south fighting off invading Iwagakure forces. We have taken some heavy casualties but we are holding the borders. We have extra troops heading there now but with so many of our men away fighting Suna and Konoha we're a bit short handed."

"Hmmm," A said. "I see. And what of my brother?"

"With Killer Bee's assistance we were able to defeat the invading forces to the East," the shinobi said. "At this time he, along with Samui and two platoons of reinforcements are also making their way to our southern borders to assist us there."

"Excellent," A said. "I'm going to need you to make preparations for me to enter the battlefield."

The shinobi seemed shocked by this and said, "Lord Raikage I don't think….."

"It's not your job to think but to act," A said. "Despite my brothers assistance the fact is we are still short handed. That old ass Onoki may be half senile but he knows when to pick a fight. He's throwing the full might of his military at us and things are getting worse. I'll eventually have to get involved in this myself. Now go make the preparations."

"Yes my lord," the ninja said as he got up and left the room.

_******Meanwhile - Land of Lightning – Southern borders******_

The large turtle, about the size of a five story building, landed on its back with incredible force and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Nearby were several Kumo shinobi, tired and worn down from their battle with it. Among them were Kamui and Omoi.

Kamui was on one knee, gasping for breath. Like her comrades she was dirty, and tired. "Damn," she said. "That turtle summon was a real bitch!"

Omoi walked over to her and helped her to her feet. "Yep," he said. "But at least we got it done. But we can't relax. We were able to push the Iwa ninja back but they'll regroup soon."

"Oomi is right," Kamui yelled to the several dozen ninja in the area. "That summon was able to destroy our defenses! We need to get them back up now!" Kamui pointed to several ninja and said, "You four, get our fallen and injured comrades out of the way. The rest of you work on getting those walls back up!"

Just as everyone began to scatter a group of two dozen shinobi arrived. "Kumai, Omoi," one of the ninja said. "We just arrived from the East to assist you here."

"It's about time you guys got here," Kamui said "We're going to need the extra man power. Although we could have used your asses a few minutes earlier with that damned turtle."

"Wasn't Killer Bee able to handle him," the ninja asked.

"Killer Bee," Omoi asked. "Kirabi-sensei isn't here. I thought he'd be with you."

"No," the ninja responded. "He and Samui left before us so he could get here quicker. They should already be here."

Kamui and Omoi looked at each other. "Damn," Omoi said, "What if something happened to them? What if Samui tripped and hurt herself and Sensei had to carry her only to be attacked by the enemy and then…."

Angered, Kamui punched Omoi hard on the head, "Shut up," she yelled. "Don't start with your negative bullshit. We're talking about two of our strongest ninja here!"

Before Omoi could respond a ninja nearby screamed and pointed to the sky, "Look out!" Everyone looked up and saw a large boulder hurtling towards them. Instinctively everyone scattered in time to avoid the boulder that smashed into the ground.

As the dust settled Kamui said, "Damn, it looks like Iwa has restarted their attack." Looking to everyone gathered she yelled, "We need to get our damned defenses back up, now!" As everyone moved off she looked to Omoi and said, "Not you. I need you to take two shinobi and head back to find Kirabi-sensei."

"So you are concerned for his safety," Omoi asked.

"Hell no," Kamui responded. "But sensei is known for goofing off a bit and we need his ass here now! So you need to take these two and go find him."

"Right," Omoi said. "Ok you two," he said as he looked at two nearby shinobi, "You guys are with me. Let's go!"

_******Meanwhile – In another part of the Land of Lightning******_

Samui sprinted through the trees with Killer Bee just behind. "Are you sure this was the best way to get to the border Samui," Killer Bee said. "Seems to me going with the others would have gotten us there faster."

"Sorry sensei, but I'm under strict orders by the Raikage to minimize your movements as much as possible. Let's not forget, you are still a target of Akatsuki. So trying to keep you on as a low a profile as possible is wise."

The two ninja continued to move through the woods silently before coming to a large open area. As the neared the center Samui immediately stopped and merely stared off ahead of her. Killer Bee stopped immediately and looked around. "Why did we stop," he asked. "Is there something wrong Samui? I don't sense any danger."

"Kirabi-sensei," Samui asked, "What is it like having to have such an evil beast inside of you? I can only imagine how hard its been having to control it."

Killer Bee stared at Samui for a short period and then said, "It was hard at first. But Haichibi-sama and I came to an understanding long ago. He and I are friends now."

Samui grumbled in disgust and said, "Friends? I never understood how you could ever want to be friends with such a disgusting thing. I guess, despite how good you seem to be, that's why I always hated you."

"Hated me," he asked. "Well that's a shame. Here I thought you brought me out this way so you could profess your love for me." Killer Bee sighed and said, "How disappointing."

Samui chuckled lightly. "Leave it to you sensei to all ways kid around at the wrong time," she said. Samui peered back at Killer Bee and then just as quickly looked away. "Did you ever stop to wonder why I fought so hard to become one of your disciples?"

Killer Bee smiled. "Well who wouldn't want to be a student of mine," he said.

"I did it so I could get to know you," Samui responded. "As you know it was the Eight Tails that killed both my parents during a rampage years ago. And I've always hated it for that. And you as a result."

Again Samui looked back at Killer Bee. "I hoped that by becoming your student I would learn how best to defeat you and destroy that beast. And you know what…I have."

Samui quickly turned to face Killer Bee and created several hand signs and said, "Sealing Technique: Illusionary Dragon One consuming Seal!"

Suddenly a large, glowing seal appeared under Killer Bee's feet and from it a glowing dragon rose from the seal and wrapped itself around him and squeezed him tight. Killer Bee tried to break free only to find the seal incredibly strong. Almost instantly he found himself growing weaker.

"Don't bother," Samui said, "this technique was taught to me by very powerful shinobi. Its purpose is to drain massive amounts of chakra and seal it away. It may not be strong enough to drain you completely but it will drain you to the point where you won't be able to fight back for a while. Long enough, at least, for me to deliver you to my contact."

Killer Bee gritted his teeth and he struggled to break free. But the more he fought the tighter his constraints became. And all the while he could feel his chakra being drained. "Let me guess," He said, "Your contact….it wouldn't happen to be…an Akatsuki would it?"

Samui smiled. "Well," she said, "I guess there's no point in lying now is it. Yes. For exchange of giving me the ability to finally take you down, I've promised you to the Akasuki. A member is waiting near the borders where I will hand your body over."

"I see," Killer Bee said, "Man baby have you made a big mistake. You've betrayed your village."

_******Meanwhile******_

The Ninja walked with slow determination through the woods. All the while he couldn't help but smile to himself. Judging by the level of chakra ahead he was in for a good fight. And just the thought of that pleased him immensely. Things had been far too boring the past few years. All this sneaking around really wasn't his style. He liked attacking his enemies directly. Leave being sneaky for those who are weak, he believes. Fighting face to face is what real men do.

It was then the man felt a deep shiver emanate from the weapon strapped to his back. "Settle down my friend," he said as he smiled, "I'll let you play soon enough."

_******Meanwhile******_

"Betrayed," Samui asked. "No, I've saved it. This war is all about retrieving you. Akatsuki already has seven of the Nine beasts and are on the verge of destroying Kumo to get you. But Lord Raikage is too stubborn and has too much loyalty to ever give up his brother, even if it means the destruction of Kumogakure."

"You're…..a fool…..Samui," Killer Bee said as he fell to his knees, "You really think Akatsuki will just stop this attack once they have me? These guys will destroy Kumogakure regardless. Let me go Samui, this is your last chance baby."

"Sorry Sensei," Samui said, "But I can't. I'm putting an end to this and finally helping Kumo get rid of the curse that is the Eight Tails."

It was then Samui heard someone behind her say, "Sorry to hear that." Samui then felt a sharp pain in her side and looked down to see a sword jutting out from her stomach. Looking behind her she saw Killer Bee standing with a cold look on his face.

Moving quickly Samui twisted her body forcing Killer Bee's blade out of her and she then drew her own sword and cut Killer Bee in the chest. Much to her surprise, that Killer Bee immediately turned into a blob of ink and splashed on the floor.

Samui grasped her stomach and fell to her knee. Through blurry vision she saw the seal under the real Killer Bee fade and disappear. Injured as she was, she could no longer focus enough to maintain the jutsu.

Breathing heavily, Killer Bee glared at Samui, who had now fallen to her back as blood poured from her wound. Inside Killer Bee's mind he could hear the Hachibi say, **"That was a close one Bee. That seal was draining us both of chakra. As it was we were in real trouble."**

"Yeah," Killer Bee responded as he got to his feet. He then walked over to Samui who was now laboring to breathe.

"When," she said. "I had my eyes on you the entire time. When did you create a clone?"

"Just before we headed out," Killer Bee said. "When you insisted that you and I move out on our own I decided to create a little insurance."

"So," she said, "You didn't trust me huh? When did you realize I would betray you?"

"The day I met ya Samui," Killer Bee said.

Samui coughed blood and then asked, "Then why? If you knew what I wanted to do why take me on as you're student?"

"I guess," Killer Bee responded, "I was hoping I could change your heart. I can't say that the reason for your hate was wrong. Hachibi-sama was responsible for their deaths. I guess, I just wanted to try and make things right, on his behalf."

Samui looked away as tears began to fall from her eyes. "Come," Killer Bee said, "If we hurry maybe we can still save you."

"Why," she asked, "I've betrayed you?'

"You are my pupil Samui," Killer Bee said. "To bring hope. To protect. That is my legacy. It's the only reason I need."

"Sensei," Samui said, "If you want to help me then kill me." Killer Bee was visibly startled by what she said. "You and I both know what your brother will do to me when he hears of this," she said. "And this is not something I can live with."

"Shut up Samui," Killer Bee said. "Like I could actually do something like that!" Killer Bee then took out some cloth and lifted Samui's shirt enough to see the wound. He then flooded the wound with some of his chakra until the bleeding slowed. He then lifted Samui up to a seated position and wrapped her stomach with the cloth tightly.

"There," he said. "That should hold till we find an outpost. We'll have to continue to the border as thats the closest place to find medical attention. I'm going to leave you here for a moment. I saw some herbs a few minutes ago that can prevent infection."

Killer Bee rose to his feet and began to walk away when Samui asked. "What about the Raikage? When he finds out what I've done…."

"What exactly did you do," Killer Bee asked without looking at her. Samui silently looked at her master as he walked off into the woods.

_******Meanwhile******_

The Ninja walked through the woods steadily. A few minutes ago he had saw a small blue glow coming from the distance. _So_, he thought, _she was able to use the technique? Hmmm, maybe I won't get to play after all. But then again, once she hands him over I could play with her a bit. Yes, she could be tons of fun._ The ninja couldn't help but smile widely at the thought of what was to come

The ninja then came to a large clearing in the woods and near the middle of the clearing he saw Samui laying down. The ninja shook his head in disgust as he walked closer. _This is what I get for thinking a woman could get this done_, he thought to himself.

As he got closer, he could see that she was still breathing, there was a great deal of blood nearby on the floor and her eyes were closed.

Samui slowly opened her eyes and gasped when she say the man standing over her. "So," she said, "you couldn't wait for me to bring him to you?"

The man smiled and said, "Well forgive me if I was skeptical in the idea that a woman could pull something like this off. And it seems I was right."

"So," Samui said with scorn, "Is this where you finally do what you've always wanted to do to me you ugly fuck?"

The ninja smiled wickedly. "Yep," he said, "better now than never." The Ninja then pulled his large weapon from his back and dangled it just above Samui's chest. "You know," he said, "It's too bad I have other things to do. Because I wouldn't mind impaling you with my other sword before this one."

"Trust me," Samui said, "This is far less painful." The ninja laughed as he gripped his weapon tightly and brought it down swiftly.

Looking off towards where Killer Bee had walked off a few minutes ago, Samui said, "Sensei, I'm so s…."

A minute later Killer Bee walked back out into the clearing, with several herbs in his hands. He said, "Ok kiddo, these should…." Killer Bee stood in shock as he saw the ninja dressed in a black cloak with red clouds standing over Samui.

The man's foot was pressed down on the side of her face and he held what looked to be a large sword, wrapped in cloth that was buried into Samui's chest. Killer Bee looked into his pupils wide, vacant eyes and knew she was gone.

Killer Bee dropped the herbs as the man looked up at him with a wide grin. The man then pulled his weapon from Samui's chest and blood gushed from the large wound.

"What a disappointment she was," the man said. "We give her one simple task and look what happens. Oh well, it's really not surprising. You see, this is what happens when you ask a woman to do a man's job. She always ends up on her back."

Killer Bee stared harshly at the man and then drew two swords. "It's bad taste to talk ill of the dead mothafucker," he said.

The man merely shrugged and stared at Killer Bee.

"I take it you were the person she was to deliver my body too," Killer Bee asked.

"Yep," the man responded. "My name is Hoshigaki Kisame and I was supposed to wait for her. But see, my Samehada started to become too impatient. It loves powerful chakra and was rather persistent in wanting to track you down. I'm afraid you must become food for my Samehada now. But don't worry. I won't kill you."

End of Chapter Three

Next time: Shark vs. Octopus


	4. Shark vs Octopus

**INTRODUCTION**

Thanks for returning to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As Always i like to take this time to say I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

Thanks for those who reviewed my last chapter: Maliousdei, 101FallingRock, iiDarkness, FoxSage19, GravenImage, charles cdv, Kushina's Truth of Hell, Pinulu, Silver Senpai, Sasuke K & FoxSage.

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**RESPONCES**

**MaliousDei** - Ahh! Now i see. Thanks for that. Perhaps i am like Mikami then. Hopefully I won't end up like him in the end though. Not...a great way to die. *shudder*

But of course i still have faith in the pairing. As i've done in my countless pairing debates I've stated that I believe Sakura was telling the truth about how she feels about Naruto. Her lie was not feeling anything for Sasuke. As, I've said then i still believe there was no reason to say, "I love u," to Naruto in that situation. The PoaL had nothing to do with her not loving Naruto but her feelings for Sasuke. To end the PoaL all she had to do was say "I don't love Sasuke anymore." That is enough to end it. To confess her love, if it were a lie, i can't see a benefit to doing that. So to me it was the truth. Hope this helps.

**101FallingRock** - Glad you liked the chapter. And i guess Naruto has a bit of Wolverine inside him.

**iiDarkness** - Glad you liked that little twist. Who knows maybe KB does survive. Only one way to find out.

**FaxSage19** - Thanx

**GravenImage** - Thanx

**charles cdv** - Thanx

**Kushina's** - Thanx. I'm glad you liked what I did with Bee.

**Pinulu** - Interesting idea you have there Pinulu.

**Silver Senpai** - Well, i hope you like how this fight turns out Dude.

**Sasuke K** - Yep, Samui and her glorious boobies are no more. But...why did you find that funny? Hmmm.

**foxsage** - It does sound like she's in Heaven doesn't it? Oh well. :)

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So here is chapter four of End of Innocence. Hope you like it. **Please** remember to send a little **review** my way.

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Naruto: The Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter IV: Shark vs. Octopus

_******Land of Lightning******_

Without hesitation Killer Bee ran straight at Kisame with two swords in his hands. Kisame swiftly blocked Killer Bee's first and second attack. Killer Bee then flipped, balancing on the tips of his swords and tried to kick Kisame in the head. Kisame quickly hopped back and out of range and suddenly saw a pencil, glowing with chakra speeding towards his eye.

Kisame bent back and was just able to dodge and to his surprise the pencil pierced through the tree behind him and embedded into the ground. Kisame took two hops back to gain some added distance between himself and Killer Bee and then began to run around him.

_He increased the pencils' penetrative force_, Kisame thought, _using the frequency vibrations of a raton! I better keep on my toes! With that attack he could punch a hole right through me._

Kisame then slightly unwrapped his sword and, holding onto the cloth, swung Samehada out towards Killer Bee who quickly leapt up to avoid it. Samehada completely sliced through the tree behind Killer Bee causing it to topple over.

As Killer Bee landed he leapt and rolled away to get out of Kisame's range. Much to Kisame's surprise he saw that Killer Bee was now kneeling next to Samui's body. Killer Bee then sheathed his swords and gently lifted her body and walked over to a nearby tree. He gently put her down and closed her eyes.

_Wait a minute_, Kisame thought. _He did all that just to separate me from the girls' body? Damn him! He wasn't even trying to fight me seriously. Perhaps this fight will be more exciting that I had hoped._

As Killer Bee stepped away from Samui's body he then looked at Kisame and said, "Now that that's out of the way, I can make your day." He then drew all seven of his swords and through them into the sky. Kisame looked on as Killer bee then grabbed all seven swords within his left armpit, elbows, right leg, stomach, right side of his neck and his mouth.

"Maybe one day you can write it in some books," Killer Bee said, "About the day Killer Bee let you feel his hooks!"

_What's with that pose_, Kisame thought, as he prepared himself for Killer Bee's attack. Killer Bee then suddenly began to spin around and came straight at Kisame who found it impossible to read what was happening.

Killer Bee began slashing at Kisame from multiple angles forcing Kisame back. Kisame quickly put Samehada up in front of him to block some of Killer Bee's attack but he quickly was overwhelmed and Killer Bee cut up Kisame's arms legs and face.

Killer Bee then flipped upside down grabbed two of his swords and impaled Kisame in the chest throwing him back and onto the floor.

"Damn it," Kisame said as he winced in pain. Kisame looked up to see Killer Bee still standing in his awkward stance. _Damn_, he thought, _I still can't read what the hell he's doing. I've never seen a fighting style like that. _

Kisame got to his feet and removed his Akatsuki cloak revealing the wounds caused by Killer Bee. And much to Killer Bee's shock, the wounds began to close. _Hmmm_, Killer Bee thought, _he can heal himself? No. It's more than that. This guy is getting stronger. Plus my attacks didn't do as much damage as it should have. What's this mothafucker's deal?_

Killer Bee then charged his blades with chakra and again began to spin. Kisame gripped Samehada tight and instead of waiting for Killer Bee, he ran towards him and tried to stop the attack. Killer Bee quickly spun around Kisame and leapt at his back, intent on impaling him yet again.

Seeing Killer Bee's strategy, Kisame quickly put Kisame behind him just in time to prevent one of Killer Bee's swords from being buried into the back of his neck. Killer Bee how ever was able to piece Kisame in the upper shoulder with another sword.

Kisame grunted in pain and swung his sword out forcing Killer Bee back. Again Killer Bee watched as the wound on Kisame began to heal.

_Shit_, Killer Bee thought. _What's going on? He's healing and his chakra seams to be building. Not only that but he was able to drain most of the power from my attack before it hit._

Inside Killer Bee's mind the Haichibi said, **"Bee, I think I see the problem. That guys sword absorbs chakra. It looks like it takes it and transfers it to him somehow. Which isn't good since that seal from before already absorbed a large portion of both of our chakra. This isn't good Bee"**

"I see," Killer Bee said. "Thanks for the heads up. It looks like I'll have to put this dude down now. And luckily I think I know how."

Killer Bee then began to spin again and launched himself at Kisame. "I'll shave the skin right off your bones," Kisame yelled as he ran towards Bee. Bee spun and swiftly blocked Kisame's attack and used his momentum to spin under Kisame and then threw all seven of his blades directly into Kisame's chest, launching him up and back onto the ground.

Bee stared at the fallen Kisame who for a long moment didn't move. He then saw Kisame's sword which had fallen next to him begin to move slightly and the hilt touched Kisame's hand. Kisame then groaned and began to move. _So Haichibi was right_, Bee thought. That sword is absorbing my chakra and giving it to this guy.

Bee swiftly ran towards Kisame, hoping to finish him before he recovered. Bee leapt into the air ready to strike when Kisame's eyes opened and swung his sword up and caught Bee in the arm. Bee's right arm gushed blood and he leapt back and covered the wound with his hand.

Kisame slowly got to his feet and began to pull the swords from his body. "You bastard," Kisame said, "It's been years since I've been hurt like this. Now you're gonna pay."

"I'm gonna make you're world go dark," Bee said. "I'm gonna make you cry you stupid shark! Wheeeeeehaaaaa!" Kisame watched as Bee's body was suddenly covered by glowing chakra.

"So," Kisame said, "You've finally started using the Eight Tails Cloak huh? And it's with seven tails!" Suddenly Kisame's sword began to thrash about in his hand and began to make an inhuman noise, "Kukukuku!" Then it began to grow, ripping through the cloth that wrapped it showing large scales and a mouth with fangs.

"Wow," Kisame said, "Samehada must find your chakra really tasty. I've never seen it this excited before. I think this is going to be good."

"Did you know," Bee said as he picked up one of his discarded swords.

"Know what," Kisame asked.

"Octopuses eat sharks," Bee yelled as he charged in ready to strike.

Kisame's sword parried the attack on its own and Kisame responded, "Well this time it's the shark that will eat the octopus!"

Kisame swung Samehada again and just barely missed striking Bee in the chest. Bee hopped back and was hit be a wave of dizziness that nearly caused him to fall to his knees. **"Bee," the Eight Tails said, "that sword is still absorbing our chakra again. And it's getting bigger! This isn't working. You need to let me out!"**

"Perhaps you're right Haichibi-sama," Bee said. "Alright! Its time for you to meet the Beast sucka!"

Just as Bee began to transform several kunai flew out from behind several trees at Kisame. Without having to move Kisame watched as Samehada moved on its own to parry the attack.

Out from the trees came Oomi and two shinobi. "Kirabi-sama," Omoi said as he ran up to Bee as he was in mid transformation.

Bee stared at Omoi for a moment and then began to power down.** "Bee," the Eight Tails yelled,** **"What's wrong! Why did you stop the transformation!"**

"Sorry Haichibi-sama," Bee responded. "But we can't go all out now. Not with these guys here. You would most likely kill them."

Omoi looked at Bee and then to the ninja he was facing. "Sensei are you alright," Omoi asked.

"Of course you brat," Bee responded. "You should know better than to ask me that."

Omoi nodded and it was then he saw Samui's mutilated body propped up against a nearby tree. "Samui," he yelled as he began to run to her.

"Don't bother," Killer Bee said. "She's dead. This guy killed her."

Omoi looked angrily at Kisame and spat out the tooth pick he had in his mouth. "What," he yelled. "This bastard did that? Who is he!"

"An Akatsuki," Killer Bee said. "Goes by the name of Hoshigaki Kisame."

"The Tailed Beast without a Tail," Omoi asked. "He's one of the Legendary Seven Swordsmen of the Mist."

"Yep," Bee said. "I was gonna show this clown the Bull! But with you guys here I'm gonna have to change strategies. Let's go with a Pincer attack."

"Right," Omoi said as he and the two other ninja spread out and surrounded Kisame.

"Wow," Kisame said, "I was right. This is going to be a good fight." Samehada began to thrash about causing the two other shinobi to step back. "But it seems my Samehada isn't much interested in you three," Kisame said. "So I'm just going to kill you now."

Omoi and the two shinobi drew their swords and ran at Kisame from three different sides. Using one hand, Kisame quickly put Samehada up in front of him to block Omoi's attack. He used his free hand to grab another shinobi by his wrist and kicked him away. And he ducked under the third shinobi's attack and then swung Samehada out forcing the Shinobi and Omoi to jump back.

Before Kisame could react however, Bee, who was now covered in an Eight Tailed Cloak, moved in behind him with blinding speed. Kisame turned just in time to be hit with a powerful clothesline attack. "Lariat," Bee yelled as he hit Kisame.

Kisame's chest caved in and blood gushed out as he was blown back threw trees and out of sight leaving Bee and the others behind.

Omoi was breathing heavily and sweating as he looked at the damage done. _What's going on_, he thought to himself. _That little exchange was nothing and we're all looking tired._

"It's that guy's freaky ass sword," Bee said as if knowing what Omoi had been thinking. "Not only is it alive but it feeds on chakra and transfers it back to him."

"I see," Omoi said. "No wonder the three of us are tired." _But not just us_, Omoi thought as he looked at Bee. _You look drained too sensei. What kind of monstrous sword could do such a thing to you?_

"If you don't want to go down hard I'd stay on guard," Killer Bee said. "I doubt this guy is done yet. What we really need to do is separate him from his sword."

Everyone tensed as they heard the crunch of twigs breaking as they could hear Kisame as he slowly made his way back. As he came into view they were startled to see that Kisame and his sword were merging and Kisame was becoming more and more shark-like in appearance. "Separate me from my sword," Kisame asked. "That's a good plan. But can you remove it from my body?"

Kisame then quickly made several hand signs and said, "Water Style! Great Exploding Water Colliding Wave!" Bee, Omoi and the two shinobi looked on in shock as Kisame spat a large volume of water that quickly took the shape of a large wave that crashed into them.

Bee quickly shook off the effects of Kisame's attack to find that he was now trapped. _What the hell_, he thought. _This looks like a giant dome of water!_ Bee quickly looked about him and saw that Omoi was fine and was helping one of the ninja. Bee then saw that the second ninja was floating, belly up, his neck broken.

Bee then looked to see Kisame, floating some distance ahead of him. _Damn_, Bee thought, _It's like he's a man who be came part fish, or a fish who's part man._ Bee looked back at Omoi who was struggling to rescue the other ninja. The ninja began to thrash about and it was clear he was close to drowning.

Bee quickly turned and swam towards them. _I gotta get them outta here_, he thought as he grabbed Omoi and the ninja and began to swim away. Bee quickly created the full Eight Tailed Cloak to increase his speed as he moved. _Damn_, he thought, _I can't see a thing ahead of me. How big is this damned dome?_

"**It's not the dome Bee,"** **The Eight Tails said.** **"Haven't you noticed that the water is moving with him? Not only that, but he's faster in the water and most likely has gills to breathe. If we keep running like this we'll all drown!"**

"Damn," Killer Bee said. "So what the hell should we do?"

"**We're the one he's after," The Eight Tails said. "If we leave these two and swim in the opposite direction he'll follow. Eventually they'll be released from the dome!"**

Killer Bee quickly released Omoi and the ninja and swam off. _Alright ugly_, he thought. _Follow me._ But to Bee's surprise Kisame continued towards Omoi and the ninja.

"I may not be able to kill you," Kisame said. "But they're a different story!"

"Damn," Bee said as he quickly turned around and tried to intercept Kisame.

As both of them converged on Omoi and the shinobi, Kisame quickly turned and headed straight for Bee. "Ha," he said. "You fell for it!" Kisame quickly grabbed Bee and began to absorb his chakra once more.

But much to Kisame's surprise, Bee grew octopus tentacles from his back and wrapped them around him and pulled him away from his two comrades. "Son of a bitch," Kisame yelled. "You truly are the perfect Jinchuricki. To think you can partially transform at this size!"

As Bee pulled Kisame further and further away, finally Omoi and the ninja reached the edge of the water dome and was mercifully released and fell down to ground below.

_******Meanwhile******_

Killer Bee and Kisame continued to struggle against each other within the dome. Bee pulled out a sword and attempted to stab Kisame when his vision started to become blurry and he started to weaken. "Looks like you're running out of air," Kisame said. "It was a good idea you had but unfortunately, while fused with Samehada if you touch any part of my body I can absorb you're chakra!"

_Damn_, Bee thought to himself, he's right_. I don't have much time. At this rate I need to use lariat against him._

"**No Bee," The Eight Tails yelled, "You can't beat him in the water! And he's going to be even more on guard now! We have to get out of here and regroup! You know what to do!"**

"No one is better at capturing hosts like I am," Kisame said. "Between me and my Dome I can absorb all but the last bit of chakra. Now all I have to do is wait for the right moment."

Much to Kisame's shock, Bee took a deep breath and spat out a large blast of ink that blinded him. Bee immediately began to swim away desperate to get out of the Dome.

_Shit_, Kisame thought. _He can spit out that much ink? He's trying to give himself time to escape. But he made one miscalculation. In this form I can sense chakra!_

Kisame quickly swam over and intercepted Bee before he could escape and slammed into him several times and Bee fell back.

Suddenly the dome broke away causing Bee's unconscious form to fall to the ground. Kisame walked up to Bee as his sword separated from his body. He removed a seal from his back pocket and placed it on the ground. He made several hand signs and the seal exploded in a puff of smoke and large chains with seals etched into the metal appeared.

"**Bee," the Eight Tails yelled. "You need to wake up! Bee! He's taken almost all of my chakra too! This is bad Bee! You need to wake up now!"**

Kisame then wrapped Bee in the chains. _These chains have chakra seals on them_, Kisame thought to himself. _It should be able to keep him from fighting me if he wakes up. _

Zetsu then rose halfway out of the ground nearby. "It seems you were successful Kisame," Zetsu said.

"Was there any doubt," Kisame asked. "The Eight Tails wasn't as tough as I thought he'd be. Go back and tell Lord Madara that the Eight Tails has been secured."

_******A few minutes later******_

Omoi coughed, spat up water and gasped for air. At first he tried to move and his arms and legs felt leaden. Eventually he looked up to see that the large water dome was no where to be seen. Omoi then looked over to the shinobi who was not moving. He quickly crawled over to him and after checking his pulse said, "Damn. We were too late. He drowned."

Omoi then looked back towards the large space the dome had been and struggled to his feet. "Kirabi-sensei," he said, "Hold on. I'm coming." He then began to run towards the dome as quickly as he could.

As he arrived to the large open area Omoi saw all the water scattered about. All the trees in the area lay broken and twisted. Signs of battle were everywhere yet there was no sign of Bee or Kisame. Omoi began to run about frantically looking for a sign, any sign of where they went and yet found nothing. "Sensei," Omoi said as he fell to his knees, his fists clenched in frustration. Through gritted teeth and tears Omoi yelled, "Sensei! Where are you!"

End of Chapter Four

Next Time: An Ally in the Shadows


	5. An Ally in the Shadows

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends! Come inside, come inside! as always i like to start by saying I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

Thank you to those who reviewed my last chapter: iiDarkness, FoxSage19, charles cdv, 101FallingRock, maidsama4real, soccernin19, Kushina's Truth of Hell, Luna'sStar101.

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**RESPONCES**

**iiDarkness** - Wasn't the best I've done? well, I can accept that sice it wasn't wholey original. Anyway, you're right, Kisame isn't dead...yet. But can he be saved? Cherry Blossoms in Indonesia bloom once in the fall and once in the spring.

**FoxSage19** - Someone give this man a prize! I think he's figured it out!...or has he? Dun! Dun! Dun!

**charles cdv** - Thanx

**101FallingRock** - I think Kisame and Naruto will fight. It's inevitable. So which chapter did you like the best so far i wonder?

**maidsama4rea**l - What's the point indeed? Lol. As i stated early on I'm trying to make this story with the same kind of romantic ambiguity Kishi is known for. So though the romance is sparce it will be meaningful. Don't worry, everything you're looking for will come together.

**soccernin19** - Thanx. My plans will unfold in due time. i think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

**Kushina's Truth of Hell** - Thanx.

**LunaStar101** - As you should remain optimistic. Optimism is what we humans depend on.

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**LETTER FROM THE AUTHOR**

Here's a lesson. Never create a chapter in a Narusaku fan fic and not have Narusaku in it. Because readership always sufferes. Lol! Anway on to the story. **Please** remember to send a little **review** my way. thanks.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter V: An Ally in the Shadows

_******Kirigakure – Office of the Mizukage******_

Sasuke sat alone in his room meditating, preparing for what was to come. Finally his new eyes and hand worked without pain. Yesterday he was able to train fully for the first time and even he had to admit that for the first time in a long time he felt exhilaration. He never felt such power as he felt now. Every jutsu he performed was faster, stronger and more potent.

Sasuke opened his eyes and stood up. His room was small with no paintings or furniture outside of a bed and dresser. He walked over to mirror on the dresser and looked at his face. He looked into his eyes, and his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Madara told him that once he attained these eyes he could never look through his old ones again.

This was fine with him. To Sasuke he had left behind his old naïve eyes long ago. He saw the world through different eyes now. And this world will burn. And with these eyes he will see a new world take its place.

Sasuke was jarred from his thoughts by the gentle knocking at his door. "Come in," he said and was not surprised to see Karin enter.

"I need to check your eyes Sasuke – kun," she said. "Please lay down on the bed." Sasuke silently walked over to his bed and lied down. Karin pulled a chair up and sat next to Sasuke then took out a small light and began to inspect Sasuke's eyes.

Sasuke noticed how quiet she was. In fact, ever since his showdown with Sakura, Karin had barely talked to Sasuke. Whatever she did say to him was always regarding business and was short and to the point. Even now Karin seemed completely focused on the task at hand and nothing more.

As Sasuke lay silently he thought back to that night. He remembered the pain in Sakura's eyes as she fought to kill him. Ironically, the look in her eyes was the same look Karin now gave him.

Finally Karin finished her examination and got up. "Ok," she said. "There doesn't seem to be any damage from the prolonged use of the Sharingan yesterday. Madara's operation was a complete success."

Without another word Karin turned and began to walk away, leaving Sasuke on the bed. Sasuke sat up and watched as she left. _Damn her_, he thought to himself. _I don't need this now. I've already explained to her why I did what I did. Why is she acting like this? And those eyes. They're so sad. So….annoying to look at!_

Sasuke suddenly felt a surge of anger wash over him and he felt like every cell in his body screamed to act. Quickly, he got to his feet and walked across the room as Karin got to the door.

As the door opened, Sasuke walked up behind Karin and slammed the door shut. For a long moment there was silence as both of them just stood there. "Why did you do that Sasuke-kun," Karin said without turning to face him. "Let me go."

"What's wrong with you," Sasuke asked.

"Why do you care," Karin asked.

"I've never understood why you act the way you do," Sasuke said. "I can see why the others follow me, but you…why do you stay?"

"I guess she was right," Karin said. "There are just certain things you can't understand. Even with all your power, there are things you will never be able to see."

Sasuke suddenly tensed up and gritted his teeth in anger. His left hand was balled tightly into a fist and quickly he grabbed Karin by the shoulder and spun her around to face him and slammed her against the door.

"And what do you know of power," he yelled. "All you've ever done is cling to those with power and act like a damned school girl! You're pathetic!"

"So are you," Karin said, "Look at you! You've given up your hand, even your own eyes! And for who, for what! For Madara's dream!"

"For my own," Sasuke yelled. "What I do I do for the Uchiha name! For the honor of my people! What would you know about that? You've never known what's it's like to have everything taken from you because you've never had anything of your own! You don't understand a thing!"

"I understand everything," Karin shot back. "I've been with you for four years! I know you better than anyone!"

"Then why," Sasuke asked, "Why do you look at me like that!"

Karin leaned forward and was only inches from Sasuke face and said, "Why….do you…..care?"

Sasuke suddenly threw a punch that slammed into the door inches from Karin's face. As expected, she didn't even blink. Sasuke then stared at her for a long time before whispering, "Those eyes. Those sad, annoying eyes. I can't…..I can't complete this mission….if I have to look at those eyes."

Sasuke then grabbed Karin around her waist and pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. At first, Karin was tense from the shock of Sasuke's actions and tried to pull away, but quickly she wrapped her arms around his bare chest and melted into his embrace.

Sasuke pinned Karin against the door and lifted her up off her feet as they kissed and groped each other. And after a few minutes he lifted her up and carried her across the room to his bed as Karin removed her shirt. Sasuke then dropped her onto the bed before slowly removing her glasses and climbed on top of her.

******Meanwhile – In the Office of the Mizukage******

Madara sat behind his desk as Zetsu rose from out of the ground. "Lord Madara," he said. "Kisame should be arriving soon with the Eight Tails."

"And we're sure it's really him this time right," Madara asked. "It's no trick?"

"I checked myself," Zetsu said. 'This is the real one."

"Excellent," Madara said triumphantly, "All that's needed now is for Sasuke to make the final transformation. Once he does, everything will be ready. In fact, that time should be soon."

"Are you not concerned about Sasuke's reaction my Lord," Zetsu asked. "I mean Sasuke has been hard to control as it is. What will happen when your deception is discovered?"

"By the time it is it will be too late," Madara responded. "Besides, Sasuke may be quick to anger but he is sensible. He'll see that what I've done is given him what he's always secretly wanted."

******Konoha – Beneath ROOT Headquarters – Midday******

"Have you decided," Danzo asked as he stood in a dank cell staring at his prisoner.

"Yes," the man responded. "Actually I have. I've had quite a long time to think it over and I have decided."

"Well," Danzo responded, clearly annoyed.

"Kabumaru," the man said.

"What," Madara asked.

With a wide, amused grin Kabumaru responded, "I've finally decided on a name for myself. You may refer to me as Kabumaru."

"You son of a bitch," Danzo yelled as he punched Kabumaru in the face again and again. "Give me the information I need to heal my arm and eye or so help me….!"

But Kabumaru merely laughed hysterically.

"What's so damned funny," Danzo yelled.

"You are," Kabumaru said. "Look at you Danzo. You think I haven't noticed the fact you now come here so often?There was a time where you wouldn't come to see me for weeks, months at a time. Now you come here every day. Let me guess, Madara has finally betrayed you and left you to rot. Now you're desperate, practically on edge. Why, I bet I could get you on your knees begging me if I so wanted."

"How arrogant," Danzo said. "You should take a better look at your position Kabumaru."

"Oh I know my position quite well," Kabumaru responded. "Yes, I may be in a cell, filthy and stinking. But you Danzo, you are the rat that's trapped."

Kabumaru then looked as a rat ran across his cell and into a hole. "Do you know the best way to kill a trapped rat Danzo? Flood its lair with water. It will either run out where you wait with a hammer, or it will stay and drown. You see? The water is already starting to rise Danzo. All I need do now is sit and wait."

Danzo grabbed Kabumaru by the collar and was ready to punch him but stopped. Finally he let him go and looked the ROOT ninja standing behind him. He nodded and the ninja grabbed his instruments of torture.

"Fine," Danzo said. "If I can't get you to talk I'll have to be satisfied with hearing you scream." He then looked to the ninja and said, "Double, no triple the torture techniques. I want to hear his screams from my office."

As Danzo turned to leave, Kabumaru said, "Danzo. Can you hear it? Can you hear it coming closer? Can you hear the sound of rushing water?" Danzo looked back as Kabumaru began to laugh manically and suddenly noticed his hands were shaking. Quickly calming himself, Danzo closed the cell door and made his way out of the prisons with the sound of Kabumaru's laughter echoing off the walls.

Danzo made his way out of the prisons and up into the main headquarters where Fuu stood waiting. Silently, Fuu followed Danzo outside and threw the courtyard as they walked towards the Hokage's office building.

Just as they arrived Danzo saw Hiashi walking towards him with his daughter Hanabi in tow. "Lord Hokage," he said, not bothering to hide his anger. "May I have a word with you?"

Danzo sighed then said, "Yes Hiashi. But make it quick. I've had a very difficult day and there is still much to do."

"Of course," Hiashi said. "Why was I not informed that Hinata was sent on a mission towards Otogakure?"

"As you know," Danzo responded, "A squad consisting of Rock Lee, Izunaka Kiba and your nephew Neji was sent towards that location but disappeared several weeks ago. I needed a new team to figure out what's going on. As a Byakugan user, your daughter was a perfect candidate for the team."

"But she is not as skilled as Neji," Hiashi said. "And that entire area has become completely unstable with enemy forces. Not to mention the group you sent her with is inadequate if attacked by a large enemy force. Lord Hokage, Hinata is one of the possible heirs to the Hyuga clan. I should have been consulted before you decided to send her on such a mission. What if she dies?"

With a clear look of impatience and anger Danso replied, "Hiashi, you mistake courtesy for obligation. As the Hokage I don't need permission from you for anything. Secondly, it's my understanding that you have yet to choose your successor. So look at the bright side Hiashi. If she dies, then your choice becomes an easy one."

Clearly angered, Hanabi pulled a kunai, which was hidden in her sleeve, and prepared to attack Danzo, only for Hiashi to place his hand up in front of her, causing her to stop.

Despite her sudden attempt to attack Danzo didn't flinch and said, "It seems your daughter has much to learn about controlling one's emotions."

"My apologies Hokage," Hiashi said with a pained expression on his face. "Hanabi loves her sister and can be passionate in her defense."

"I see," Danzo said as he turned and walked into his building.

Once Danzo was gone, Hiashi gritted his teeth and clenched his face in frustration. _Hinata_, he thought.

_******Meanwhile – Near the Border between the Land of Fire and Sound******_

Hinata leapt clear of the exploding tag as it went off, spun around and readied two kunai in her hands. Suddenly several kunai flew out of the trees at her from several directions. Hinata quickly spun around at an incredible speed while releasing chakra from all her chakra points, creating a shield that knocked away every kunai.

Once every kunai was knocked away Hinata stopped and looked around waiting for the next attack. She had come here with Choji and Shino when they were ambushed by a large group of Akatsuki forces and were forced to run.

Unfortunately she had been separated from both Shino and Choji and now found herself fighting off wave after wave of Akatsuki forces alone. For the most part she was holding her own but she could feel herself tiring. She had to escape and find a place to rest, regroup and most importantly, find her friends.

Suddenly five shinobi leapt from the trees and attacked. Hinata moved backwards as she dodged the first ninja's kukai before blocking another attack with her own kunai. She then ducked and kicked the legs out from under one of her assailants, blocked another's attack and used her gentle fist technique to strike him in the chest, causing him to collapse.

Hinata suddenly felt a sharp pain in her thigh and the spray of blood. The ninja she had tripped was able to quickly recover and, using a kunai, had sliced her in the thigh just above her knee. The ninja swung his kunai again, this time hoping to disembowel her with one swing. Hinta was able to black the attack and kick the ninja squarely in the face knocking him out instantly.

Before she could decide what next to do another ninja appeared behind her and attempted to stab her in the back. Without looking, Hinata dodged the attack and kicked him away.

Standing on a tree branch above a masked ninja stood, with arms folded, watching the scene unfold. _Hmmm_, he thought. _She's pretty good. Despite being on her own she defeated fourteen of my men and she's still going. But she appears to be getting tired. It's only a matter of time now._

The ninja then raised his hand and pointed towards Hinata and six more ninja leapt from the trees and attacked.

Hinata continued to dodge each attack and used her gentle fist to take out as many attackers as she could. _I can't keep this up forever, _she thought._ And they just keep coming. I think I'm going to have to use that jutsu again._

The masked ninja standing on the tree raised his hand and ten more ninja appeared on tree branches surrounding Hinata. They all looked at each other and leapt into the air and created several hand signs. Simultaneously they all said, "Ninja art: Combined Explosive Kunai Barrage!" Suddenly a large summoning scroll appears and wrapped around the area connecting to each ninja and a barrage of kunai is launched at Hinata from all side.

The masked leader remained standing on the tree branch watching. _Now let's see what you do_, he thought. _The Combined Explosive Kunai Barrage takes ten Weapons Specialist ninja and combines their chakra to create one attack that launches five hundred kunai with explosive tags for each ninja. That's five thousand explosive kunai from every direction. Try to block that!_

"Oh no," Hinata yelled as she got into her prepared stance. "Protection of the Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty Eight Palms!" The Ninja watched as Hinata began to move her palms at an incredible speed and he saw what looked like needles made of chakra being fired from every point from her palms. Suddenly all the kunai began to fall around Hinata's feet and the explosions from the tags were going off away from her.

The ninja unfolded his arms and looked on in shock. _Impossible_, he thought. _She's actually using that technique of hers to cut the explosive tags of the kunai, then knock the kunai to the ground and then knock the tags away to explode safely away from her. No way all in one motion! At this rate she'll actually block the entire technique. _

The Ninja then leapt from the tree and began to circle around. _No matter_, he thought. _All Byakugan users have a blind spot. I just need to find it. _

As the ninja moved a tree branch behind her he spotted it. "There," he said excitedly. He then pulled out a kunai with an explosive tag and threw it at the nape of her neck. As the kunai flew in, Hinata quickly looked back and suddenly the kunai exploded launching her forward and crashed hard onto the ground.

Hinata groaned in pain as she struggled to get up. The leader stood in amazement. _She's still alive_, he thought. _Amazing, despite everything happening around her she must have still sensed me moving around to her back. And as I threw my kunai she was able to knock another disabled kunai into mine causing it explode before hitting her. Amazing._

The ten ninja leapt at Hinata ready to kill when four kunai flew out of the shadows and struck four ninja in the chest and they were launched back and crashed through trees. Hinata looked up in shock as the remaining six ninja leapt away. The leader dropped down into the clearing and looked to see where the attack came from.

Hinata looked up to see a lone person standing under the shade of a tree. The person wore black and grey armor and a porcelain animal mask along with a long, body length, black cloak. _What's a Konoha ANBU doing way out here_, she wondered.

The leader studied the ANBU ninja cautiously as the ninja just stood there. Then he said, "You're awfully confident to just stand out in the open despite being alone!" Still the ANBU was silent. The leader looked around to ensure the ANBU was alone before saying, "Kill the bastard!"

The six other ninja ran at the ANBU who quickly pulled out a kunai and began blocking the attacks of the enemies. This caused the ANBU's cloak to flare open and the Leader was able to see this person was female.

The woman blocked a strike from one ninja, spun and blocked another attack before punching another ninja that sent him flying back and into the ground and skidding to a stop. Another ninja leapt at the ANBU from above. The woman sidestepped the attack and punched him and he was launched through a tree.

Hinata looked back at the ninja that was taken out by that ANBU's kunai earlier. And then at the other ninja who had been taken out by just a punch. _Her strength is incredible_, she thought. _I haven't seen anything like that since….._

Hinata gasped as a certain realization came to her. _No way_, she thought. _Could it be? Byakugan_, she thought as she activated her powers and looked at the ANBU's face. "Oh my God," she said.

Hinata stared in shock and had trouble believing her eyes until one of the ninja was able to knock the porcelain mask off of the ANBU's face and she could see the strands of pink hair flowing from under the hood of the cloak. The ANBU then looked up and Hinata then said in shock, "It really is you….Sakura-chan!"

End of Chapter Five

Next Time: Cherry Blossoms Bloom Twice


	6. Cherry Blossoms Bloom Twice

**INTRODUCTION**

Thank you for returning to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I begin by saying I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter: SwitchMagic, airnaruto45, maliousdei, crazyefra, 101FallingRock, jade destiny, Luna'sStar101, Sliver Senpai, Kushina's Truth of Hell, aej1085, newserkzzz, iiDarkness, FoxSage19, maxslayer10, Gravenimage, tosakuai, Nverland Funhouse, narutokurosaki, soccernin19 & StoryMaster007.

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**RESPONCES**

**SwitchMagic **- Ummmm...I'm gonna have to say no. Lol.

**airnaruto45** - SIR YES SIR! RIGHT AWAY SIR! LOL!

**maliousdei** - Awww! Oh well. Can't fool everyone I guess. If you want to know what she's up to then I suggest you read on my friend.

**crazyefra** - That is the question isn't it? So are you saying her return wasn't a surprise for you too? O well two aren't bad I guess.

**101FallingRock** - Pay attention to the few Kabumaru scenes Rock. That's all I'm gonna say. Of course Sakura's alive. This **is** a Naru**saku** fic isn't it. :P

**jade destiny** - Trust me, no one's happier that Sakura is a alive than Sakura herself. And her story of survival will be told...soon.

**Luna'sStar101** - Never understimate the power of OPTIMISM!

**Silver Senpai** - The Mizukage is rotting in a prison. Sorry. Don't expect to see her for a while. As for SasuKarin...that pairing was something I worked in slowly but I wanted they're actual hookup to be sudden and passionate.

**Kushina's** - Glad I made you happy. I actually stay up at nights wondering how to make you happy. Lol!

**aej1085 **- Glad you happy she's back. Expect BIG things from Sakura VERY SOON.

**newserkzzz** - Though I hate to argue with my readers I've been told that Sakura flowers can indeed be found in Indonesia. I may not be Indonesian but I have studied the Cherry Blossom and if the climate is proper the Cherry Blossom can survive there.

**iiDarkness** - My sasuke isn't all 100% evil. He's a bit more complicated. Soon, you'll see what i mean.

**FoxSage19** - He should...unless there is something else going on. Lol.

**maxslayer10** - You will soon.

**GravenImage** - Thanx

**tosakuai **- Thanx. Hope you continue to enjoy

**Neverland Funhouse** - Nah, it takes more than a mountain falling on her to keep her down. :D

**narutokurosaki** - :D. My ex girlfriend did say i was a big tease. :D

**soccernin19** - We'll see what Naruto will do shortly

**StoryMaster007** - Glad you're enjoying the whole story. I'll try to keep the good times rolling. :D

* * *

Ok, so I'm glad you guys are enjoying where things are headed. **Please** remember to send a little **review** of the chapter to me.

* * *

Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter VI: Cherry Blossoms Bloom Twice

Sakura gave a small smile to Hinata who couldn't help but cry a little at the sight of Sakura standing there. Before either could speak, the remaining four Akatsuki ninja attacked. Sakura grabbed the wrist of one ninja and swung him in the air. Using his body like a bat, she hit another ninja and the two went flying, crashing to the ground.

The two remaining ninja jumped at her from the left and the right. Sakura stepped into the attack of the one on the right and quickly disarmed the ninja and took his kunai and threw it with incredible force into the chest of ninja on her left launching him away. She then kicked the ninja whom she was holding in the knee, breaking it instantly. With a small twist of her hand she then snapped his wrist before snapping his neck. The ninja's body fell in a heap at her feet.

As the final ninja fell Sakura stood staring at the apparent Leader of the group. The ninja pulled down the mask covering his face to show that it was horribly scared. "I don't know who you are," he said. "But if you think I'm scared because you took down these weaklings think again! There's a reason why I, Ryomoto of the Sound, was placed as squad leader!"

Ryomoto raised both his hands and Sakura then saw a hole in each palm. Suddenly a rush of air waves was released from his palms and Sakura was just able to leap clear as the blast flew past her and cut several trees in half behind her.

Sakura looked back at the trees and then to Ryomaru who stood smiling. _Hmmm_, Sakura thought. _That technique; I've seen it before. Sakura then recalled her run in with three Sound ninja during her first crack at the Chunin exams. _

Sakura stood up and said, "I get it. That technique of yours, I've seen it before. You have hollow tubes fitted into your arms and you can release air in concentrated blasts."

"So," Ryomaru said. "You may know what my abilities are but it won't help you. My jutsu allows me to defeat you from a distance."

"Oh really," Sakura said with a sly smile. Suddenly Sakura threw two kunai at Ryomaru at incredible speed. Ryomaru raised his hands and fired a blast at the kunai knocking them away. Before he could react however, Sakura was leaping at him from his right and tried to punch both his hands.

Ryomaru quickly moved his arms out of the way as Sakura's punches missed by inches and Ryomaru leapt back to gain distance between them.

"Nice try," Ryomaru said and raised his arms ready to fire again. This time however Sakura ran straight at him with no interest in dodging.

Ryomaru smiled. _The fool_, he thought. _She's actually attacking head on?_ Ryomaru tensed his arms to fire and felt a sharp pain shoot through both his arms and nothing else. "What," Ryomaru yelled as Sakura closed in and punched him in the face. Ryomaru was thrown back by the punch and crashed into the ground and rolled back until his body skidded to a stop.

Barely conscious Ryomaru looked up to see Sakura standing over him. "How," he asked.

Sakura raised both her hands and Ryomaru was able to see barely visible chakra emanating from her hands in the form of blades. "Chakra Scalpel Technique," Sakura said. "I was able to severe the tubes in your arms with my chakra blades."

Ryomaru then fell unconscious and Sakura turned to Hinata who was just sitting, watching in awe. "Are you alright Hinata," Sakura asked as she helped Hinata to her feet.

"Am I alright," Hinata asked. "The real question is: Are you alright Sakura-chan!"

Before Sakura could answer she and Hinata heard someone approaching. "Hinata!" The girls turned to see Choji and Shino running towards them. "Hinata," Choji yelled, "We heard the explosions and got here as fast as we…..!"

Choji and Shino stopped in shock as they saw Sakura standing next to Hinata. "S-Sakura-chan," Choji said. "Is that really you? But how! Where did you come from! We thought you were killed!"

Sakura smiled and said, "You shouldn't believe everything you hear Choji."

"But I don't understand," Shino said. "Sakura-chan, what are you doing out here? Why didn't you return to Konoha?"

At that moment Ryomaru leapt to his feet and screamed as he attacked Choji from behind with a kunai. Before anyone could react, two wooden columns pierced through the ground just below him and grabbed both Ryomaru's hands and pulled him down and onto his knees.

"What," Hinata said, "That technique…."

From above, two more ninja, a man and a woman, dressed as ANBU dropped next the captured Ryomaru. "You guys should be more careful," the woman said. "This is still a battle field and it's not wise to hold your little family reunion out in the open like this."

Everyone looked in shock as the two ANBU removed their masks. "Yamato-san and Anko-chan," Choji said. "Ok, just what's going on? Yamato-san disappeared three years ago. And Anko-chan, you deserted Konoha about three years ago as well. In fact you were labeled a rouge ninja by the Hokage with immediate, capture on sight, orders."

"It's a long story Choji," Anko said. "Let's just say I had no choice but to leave Konoha. If I hadn't who knows what would have happened to me."

"And I didn't disappear," Yamato said. "I was secretly ordered to return to the ANBU division three years ago. I wasn't even allowed to say farewell to you all."

"But I don't understand Sakura-chan," Hinata said. "The Hokage himself said you had died. Even Lady Tsunade confirmed it. They said you were captured and killed by enemy forces a month ago. Your funeral was two weeks ago. It was so sad. You're mother and Ino, they took it the worst."

Sakura looked away for a moment. "Is that what Danzo said," she asked.

"Sakura-chan," Shino said. "I'm not sure what's going on here but now that you're back you should return to Konoha. Everyone in the village has been down lately. Lee, Neji and Kiba went missing during their mission in the Land of Sound. And with your apparent death and Naruto and Shikamaru getting arrested…"

Sakura suddenly turned and looked at Shino. "What," she yelled. "What are you talking about Shino! What happened to them?"

"So you don't know," Shino said. "As you know Naruto snuck out of the village just before you went on your mission. He and Shikamaru went to see the Kazekage in hopes of convincing him to end the war. Unfortunately things didn't go as planned. Instead they were arrested and are to stand trial for crimes against Suna. If found guilty they will likely be put to death."

Sakura, Yamato and Anko looked on in stunned silence. "Put to death," Sakura whispered. "What did Lady Tsunade have to say about this?"

"She's remained strangely silent about it," Choji answered. "So have all the elders for some reason. I think because of the war going on no one wants to admit that retrieving Naruto isn't a top priority for them."

"Damn," Sakura said. "There actually going to cut those two loose like this?"

"Sakura," Shino asked. "If you weren't killed what have you been up to these last few weeks?"

"Unfortunately we know that we can't return to the village just yet," Yamato said. "But we couldn't just sit around and do nothing. So we decided to do the best we could. We've chosen to hunt down as many Akatsuki forces as we could. It's not much, but it's something."

"Wait, that's it," Hinata exclaimed. "Sakura-chan, you, Yamato-san and Anko-chan could go rescue Naruto-kun."

"It makes sense," Shino said, "You guys are off the radar right now. You could do it."

Choji got excited and pumped his fist. "Alright," he yelled. "Shikamaru, Naruto, just hold on! Team Yamato is on the way!"

"Hold on," Yamato said. "Let's not jump to conclusions here Choji. I think we should let Sakura decide what we'll do."

Sakura stepped a few feet away and looked up at the clear blue sky. "Sakura-chan," Hinata whispered. "Y-you have to do this. You have to go help them."

Sakura turned and smiled at Hinata and said, "I'm sorry Hinata, but I can't do that."

Hinata was shocked. She said, "But…Sakura-chan…"

"Hinata I know you care for Naruto," Sakura said.

Hinata's face suddenly turned bright red. "S-Sakura-chan," she said nervously. "I…I…ummm…."

Sakura continued talking, "And I know you have faith in him as much as anyone. But the true test of faith is to do it when you have no reason." Sakura walked up to Hinata and placed her hand on her shoulder. "Naruto has proven he has what it takes to beat the odds. And I know he can do it again. If we truly care about him then we have to fight on our own. Never look back and keep moving forward."

Hinata smiled and said, "Yes. I guess you're right Sakura-chan. There's no need to worry about Naruto-kun."

"Right now it looks like Neji's Team is the one that needs help," Sakura said. "Do you guys have any idea what happened to them?"

"No," Shino said. "All we know is that they were sent out towards The Land of Sound several weeks ago. We received regular messages from them stating they had run into Akatsuki forces there. The last message stated they were going to investigate a suspicious village. That was our last report. An ANBU cell was sent some time later to find them but they too disappeared."

"That's when we were given the mission to find out what's going on," Choji said.

"Well," Anko said, "We've been taking out small Akatsuki squads but with every squad we take out two more take its place. Right now it seems that Akatsuki is using the Land of Sound as their main staging area for a massive attack on Konoha."

Yamato then looked to Ryomaru, who was still pinned down to the ground. "Well then," Yamato said, "perhaps we should ask our friend what he knows huh?"

Yamato walked up to Ryomaru who looked defiantly at him. "Now," Yamato said, "I want you to tell us about what Akatsuki is doing in the Land of Sound and also about a mysterious village."

Ryomaru simply stared forward and remained silent. "Not talking huh," Yamato asked. "Well too bad for you. I don't think you understand your situation. Anko."

Anko stepped in front of Ryomaru and raised her right arm towards him. Slowly three snakes slithered from her sleeve and made its way towards Ryomaru who was now frozen with fear. "Do you know what dying by snake venom feels is like," Anko asked.

"First it attacks the blood stream," she said, "causing painful blood clots, before attacking your muscles and nervous system. You'll feel like someone is rubbing broken glass in your body. Eventually your body will begin to spasm so hard you'll break your own back. It's the slowest most excruciating death you can endure. But who knows, maybe you'll be lucky enough to pass into a coma before your brain finally hemorrhages."

Ryomaru broke into a cold sweat as the snakes got closer. Finally one of the snakes came inches from his face and opened its mouth revealing its fangs. The snake then hissed ominously. "Ok," Ryomaru yelled. "I'll tell you anything you want to know!"

"Good," Yamato said, "Now talk. How many ninja does Akatsuki have in the Land of Sound?"

"I don't know exact numbers," Ryomaru said. "But I do know there are dozens of squads and more arriving everyday. You were right, the land of Sound is the where we are preparing for the attack."

"When will this attack happen," Anko asked.

"We haven't been told," Ryomaru said. "We were told just to be ready once they've prepared the final weapon."

"Weapon," Sakura asked. "What weapon?"

"We weren't told," Ryomaru said. "All we know is that whatever it is, it's big; big enough to crush Konoha. The only thing we know for sure is that it's being made in a false village near Otogakure."

"That must be the village Neji's team found," Hinato said.

"Then that's where we're going," Sakura said. She then turned to Hinata and asked, "Hinata will you be ok to travel back to Konoha?"

"Of course," Hinata said. "This injury is no problem at all Sakura-chan."

"Good," she said, "You, Shino and Choji head back and tell Lady Tsunade about what you've learned. But do me a favor; don't tell her or anyone about us. For now it's best if everyone thinks I'm dead. If word gets out it could prove a problem."

"Are you sure about this Sakura," Choji asked. "Maybe we should go with you."

"No," Yamato said. "Sakura's right, its better we move alone. Besides you should take this guy back to Konoha for proper interrogation. What he knows could prove invaluable." Yamato then looked at Ryomaru and made several hand signs and said, "Wood Release: Wood Coffin!" Suddenly columns of wood sprouted from the ground and wrapped around Ryomaru tightly, leaving only his eyes and nose out in the open.

Choji quickly lifted Ryomaru onto his shoulders. "Don't worry," Choji said, "We'll deliver this guy and we won't say a word about you guys."

Anko pointed off behind them and said, "If you take this path you should get back home within a day or so without a problem. We've already cleared out the enemy in that area."

"Great," Shino said.

Sakura, Anko and Yamato put their masks back on and turned to leave. "Don't worry you guys," Sakura said, "If Neji and the others are alive we'll find them!" They then turned and leapt into the trees and disappeared.

"Well," Choji said as he adjusted Ryomaru on his shoulders. "We'd better get going to before some more Akatsuki come through here."

"Yes," Shino said as they turned to leave. Quickly though, Shino and Choji realized Hinata was not behind them. She was still standing in the same spot, looking towards the tree branch Sakura leapt to before disappearing.

Hinata was recalling what had happened. Just as Sakura leapt to the branch she had turned her head, ever so slightly, and looked at Hinata. Seeing this Hinata quickly activated her Byakugan and could see that Sakura was smiling under her mask.

_Sakura-chan_, Hinata thought to herself. _You…..you really have no fear for Naruto's safety do you? Your faith in him is that strong. _Hinata closed her eyes and smiled as Shino and Choji walked over.

"Hinata," Shino asked. "Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Hinata turned and looked at her friends. A gentle breeze blew through her hair as she smiled. Choji and Shino could see just a bit of tears in her eyes. "Yes," she said. "I think…..I think I finally understand something."

Confused, Shino and Choji looked at each other. Choji then said, "Ok. Are you ready to go now?"

"Of course," Hinata answered. "Let's go." Shino, Choji and Hinata began to run off. But Hinata looked back one more time. "Sakura-chan," Hinata whispered, "Thank you."

As they ran through the woods headed for home Shino looked over at Choji who had the brightest, widest smile he'd ever seen. _I haven't seen him this happy since it was his birthday and everyone had invited him to eat as much as he wanted at his favorite restaurant_, Shino recalled. "Hey Choji," Shino asked, "What's up? Why are you so happy?"

Choji wiped a tear from his cheek and then said, "I don't know. I guess it's just because we haven't had any good news in a long time. It just feels good to have a reason to smile again. And….maybe….for the first time in a long time, I feel like maybe we have a chance to win this thing."

Shino then looked back at Hinata who also had a bright smile on her face. And it was then he actually realized that he himself was in a much better mood. He was even smiling, though no one could see it. _Maybe we do_, he thought to himself. _Maybe we do indeed._

_******Meanwhile******_

Anko, Yamato and Sakura leapt silently through the trees as they made their way to The Land of Sound. Yamato looked at Sakura who was just ahead of him. Smiling he recalled everything Sakura had just said to Hinata and the others.

_Sakura_, he thought. _What you did back there was great. You really have grown haven't you? Just to think how far you've come when just a month ago….._

_******Mountain Range just outside the Land of Fire – Several Weeks Ago******_

Yamato and Anko stared in disbelief as the mountain in which Sakura was being held began to crumble. Standing in front of them was the Akatsuki member called Jugo. Jugo looked back as the mountain began to crumble and said, "It would seem you no longer have a reason to go to this mountain."

End of Chapter VI

Next Time: The Message


	7. The Message

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to Book III on the End of Innocence! As always I start by saying I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

Thanks to those readers who reviewed my last chapter: GravenImage, iiDarkness, airnaruto45, StoryMaster007, dragonshaun9, PJ Hatake, 101FallingRock, Kushina's Truth of Hell, charles cdv, EmpKaylenatye, Serenity Namikaze.

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**REPLIES**

**GravenImage** - Yep, unfortunately thier reunion will have to wait a bit (sorry airnaruto45) but it will happen. Unfortunately they must get stronger apart before they can be strong together. *hint hint*

**iiDarkness** - Actually no. i know what you mean. it was intentional. Chapter six was more about character development rather then story development.

As for Hinata's words, the meaning will be explained later. As for the end of chapter four i gotta say i don't see how it could be confusing. From my perspective I thought it was pretty clear. I even read it twice after I read your review and I still don't see it. But Maybe I'll have someone proof it for me again and see if any changes can be made.

**airnaruto45** - Demanding aren't we. :P

**StoryMaster007** - I give a shit about your opinion. Trust me Sakura wanted to. But this is a war and hard decisions must be made. Perhaps our little flower is growing up.

**dragonshaun9** - Well, thanks for** finally** doing so. :D

**PJ Hatake** - Thanx.

**101FallingRock** - Glad you liked Sakura's return. Kabumaru had a few scenes in Book I. Dude you really need to stay away from the beach. That place is dangerous.

**Kushina's** - I plan to roll on! I'll make you happy right till the final chapter. After that...:(...well you're on your own.

**charles cdv** - Thanx

**EmpKaylenatye** - Yes, Sakura is growing up.

**Serenity Namikaze **- Thanks for all the reviews. First off, unfortunately Sakura is dead. Shikamaru has really taken on the roll of his closest male friend and confidant. I really liked adding Omoi, Karui and Samui and I'm glad Samui's betrayal was a surprise. Does Sasuke have a conscience? Or was this all for his benefit too? Oh yeah...Sakura...she is alive. :P And I'm glad you like what I've done with her. BTW, the reason everyone calls her "chan" no is because of her status in the village. Go back to her talk with Naruto after he comes out of a coma in Book two to see what I mean.

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Ok, so thanks again for reading and here is Chapter seven. **Please** remember to send a **review** my way!

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter VII: The Message

_******Mountain Range just outside the Land of Fire – Several Weeks Ago******_

"It would seem," Jugo said, "that you no longer have a reason to go to this mountain." Yamato felt a fire light in the pit of his stomach and had the urge to tear this man to shreds.

Before he could say or do anything, Anko grabbed him by his arm. "Look out," she screamed as she pulled him. Anko and Yamato were able to leap clear just as a several large boulders from the exploding mountain crashed down. A boulder then flew inches from the pair, forcing them to let go of each other. Ymamto turned to try to grab Anko but she was lost in the smoke and haze.

Yamato was forced to leap and dodge as debris from the explosion rained down upon him. Yamato landed on the ground and looked up and saw an incredibly large piece of the mountain hurtling towards him. He quickly made several hand signs and said, "Wood Release: Wood Locking Dome!" Large columns of wood sprung up from the earth on either side of Yamato and created a dome to shelter him as the boulder came crashing down.

A few minutes later, Yamato dug his way out from the rubble and looked around. The dust was still settling around him and Yamato coughed slightly. Slowly he looked around for any sign of Anko. With all the destruction around him he was concerned she had gotten hurt or worse.

Yamato turned as he heard a noise coming from not too far away and as he ran to the spot where the sound was coming from a large snake broke out of the rubble and fell to the ground. Weakened and covered in cuts and bruises the snake began to spit a large object from its mouth. Yamato quickly saw that it was Anko.

As Anko was released from the snakes' mouth, Yamato helped her to her feet. "Are you alright," he asked.

Anko nodded and said, "Yes." She then turned to the snake and bowed slightly. "I'm sorry for causing you so much pain," she said to the snake. "But I thank you for saving my life. Please, go and rest." The snake did not say a word but rather disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

Anko looked around at the destruction around them. "Damn," she said. "This seems to be pretty over the top just to kill one girl."

Yamato looked around sadly. "Sakura," he whispered.

Anko looked at Yamato. Even though he and Sakura weren't very close, they were still former team mates. "Any chance that big bruiser got caught in the blast," she asked.

"I doubt we'd be that lucky," Yamato responded. "He probably used the explosion to make his escape. In any event he's no longer our concern."

"Right," Anko said. "We should start looking to see if we can find Sakura under all this. Maybe she's still alive."

"Yes," Yamato said somberly, "You begin searching over here and I'll start over there." Yamato then walked away. Yamato, though he hoped for a miracle, in his heart knew there was no hope. Sakura was presumably at the heart of this explosion. How could she possibly survive? Anko knew it too. Despite her words of hope there was no sound of conviction in it.

They weren't searching to find Sakura alive. They were searching to find her body, so that they may give her a proper burial. Yamato quickly made some hand signs and his shoulders began to expand and two wood clones grew out. "You two know what to do," Yamato said and without a word they began to dig.

Meanwhile, Anko spread both her arms out and dozens of small snakes began to slither out from inside her sleeves and began to squeeze into any cracks in the rubble it could find.

After nearly an hour of searching, Anko walked up to Yamato who, along with his clones, were still digging. "Yamato," Anko said, "I think we should stop for now. Chances are Sakura did not survive this and…."

Before Anko could finish what she was saying they heard a loud crack coming from under the ground nearby. Suddenly the ground broke open and Anko and Yamato were left in awe at what they saw.

_******Mountain Range just outside the Land of Fire – One Hour Ago******_

"Sasuke," Sakura yelled as Sasuke and Madara disappeared. All around her little mini explosions were going off and she knew she had only a few more seconds to escape. Sakura tried to get to her feet but every muscle in her body burned with pain. Even if she could get to her feet she knew she couldn't run or jump so there was no point to it.

At this point Sakura knew she had but one shot. _I have to use that jutsu_, she thought to herself. _But, I'm not sure if I have enough chakra left. I'll likely have to use almost all of the chakra for my stamina as well. If I end up using it all, I'll die. But if I don't do it, I'll die anyway._ It was at that moment Sakura remembered the day her sensei taught her this jutsu.

_******Konoha – Residence of Tsunade – Several years ago******_

_"All right Sakura," Tsunade said, "It's time for you to learn another jutsu." Sakura stood several feet away from Tsunade. She was bent over with her hands on her knees and gasping for breath._

_"Sen…..sei," Sakura said, "Can't….we….just take a little break. I've been training non-stop for hours!"_

_"Ha," Tsunade laughed, "Sakura you should know by now that it's when you're at your most tired that I like to push you!" Tsunade's face then grew very serious and she said, "Besides, this jutsu is one I can only teach to you Sakura. I believe you have the ability."_

_Sakura became very serious and waited as Tsunade produced a large scroll. She laid it on the ground and opened it. Within, she saw several dozen names and directly underneath each these names were a blood stained handprint._

_"Sakura," Tsunade said, "what I am about to teach you is the Summoning Jutsu. But first before you can learn it, you must sign a contract with your summon." Tsunade stepped away from the scroll and said, "As my apprentice I will have you also learn to summon slugs." Tsunade then bit her thumb and wiped the blood on her right palm. "Summoning Jutsu," she said as she slammed her right hand on the ground._

_In a giant puff of smoke a large slug appeared. Sakura smiled and said, 'Lady Katsuyu!"_

_"Hello Sakura-chan," Katsuyu said._

_"Ok," Tsuande said, "Let's have you sign a contract Sakura."_

_"Great," Sakura said smiling. But then Sakura suddenly realized something. "Wait Sensei," she said, "I can't sign a contract with the same animal as you can I?"_

_Tsunade smiled and said, "Actually you can. But that's not what's going to happen in this case. The reason I summoned Katsuyu was so she could bring the slug that you'll contract with."_

_It was then a small white slug with a large pink spot on its back crawled from behind Katsuyu. Sakura suddenly blushed and threw up her hands. "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God," she yelled as she scooped up the small slug and cradled it like a baby. She then began to run around frantically. "She's soooo adorable! I can't believe how cute you are! I wonder what I'll name you! Do you have a name already! I can't believe….."_

_"Sakura," Tsunade interrupted, "Please try to control yourself!"_

_Sakura froze and then stood at attention. "Right sensei," she said, "Sorry sensei."_

_"Now as you can see, Katsuyu just recently had babies," Tsunade said. "And this is one of them. Please introduce yourself little one."_

_The slug looked at Sakura and said, "Hello Sakura-sama. My name is Kotetsu."_

_Sakura smiled, "Kotetsu. That's a beautiful name. But wait, Sensei. Kotetsu is so small. How will she be able to help me?"_

_Tsuande smiled and said, "Don't worry Sakura. Slugs grow a lot faster than other animal summons. Just wait and see. In a few years, she'll be all the help you'll need."_

_******Mountain Range just outside the Land of Fire******_

_Well_, Sakura thought. _Here goes nothing!_ Sakura slammed her palm to the ground and yelled, "Summoning Jutsu!" A large cloud of smoke appeared next to her and as it cleared Kotetsu, several stories in height stood.

Kotetsu instantly moved over Sakura's body to shield her from the falling debris. "Sakura-sama," Kotetsu yelled. But Sakura did not respond. Her body lay still and her eyes were closed.

As the mountain continued to fall around them Kotetsu absorbed Sakura's unconscious body into herself as everything went dark.

_******Mountain Range just outside the Land of Fire – One Hour Later******_

"You," Yamato said as he and Anko saw Kotetsu break free from under the rubble. Kotetsu quickly fell over next to them. "I can't believe it," Yamato said and he and Anko ran up to the large slug. "I'd heard from Lady Tsunade that Sakura had learned the Summoning Jutsu, but I never thought….."

"Please," Kotetsu said weakly, "Sakura-sama needs your help." Sakura's unconscious body was then slowly released from Kotetsu into Yamato's arms. Gently he lowered her to the ground. "Sakura-sama used too much of her chakra," Kotetsu said, "She needs help. I tried to heal her as best I could but I had to focus too much of my chakra on protecting us from the explosion. I'm sorry I couldn't do more."

"It's ok," Yamato said. "You've done plenty already." Kotetsu then vanished in a cloud of smoke.

Anko kneeled next to Sakura and placed her hands on her chest. Anko's hands began to glow as she inspected the damage. "She's right," Anko said. "Sakura's chakra is practically at zero. She's also been severely burned, has multiple broken bones, a concussion and may have in internal bleeding. She's going to need major medical assistance and even then there's no guarantee she'll survive."

"Can you help her," Yamato asked.

"I'll try," Anko said, "But I'm no full fledged medical ninja. But working with Orochimaru over the years allowed me to learn some things. First thing's first, we'll need to get her to a safe spot. My hideaway is only a few miles from here. We need to hurry."

_******Some time later******_

Sakura's eyes opened slowly. She wasn't immediately sure where she was. The first thing she saw was the wooden ceiling above and the light streaming from the nearby window. She could hear the chirping of birds and the sound of running water, perhaps a waterfall.

Slowly, painfully, Sakura sat up and her body ached and she could feel her singed skin tingling all over. Sakura looked at her arms and chest, legs and face and realized she was heavily wrapped in bandages. One of her legs and arms was wrapped in a cast and she could tell through her labored breathing that several of her ribs were broken.

Sakura then heard someone nearby say, "So you're awake?" Sakura turned to see Anko walking towards her with a cup of water. "That's good," she said as she allowed Sakura to sip the water. "You were touch and go there at the beginning. I wasn't sure I had enough skill to prevent you're death. Then after that you fell into a coma. We were scared you might not come out of it. But your will to live is surprisingly strong."

"A coma," Sakura asked. Suddenly the memories all began to flood back to Sakura. She remembered going with Sasuke, fighting him, the pain, Kotetsu, then darkness. "How long was I out," she asked.

Anko kneeled next to Sakura and began to check her wounds. "Almost ten days," she said. "You have multiple bone fractures and burns all over your body; not to mention a concussion. You're lucky to be alive. If it wasn't for your Slug….."

Sakura smiled lightly and said, "Yes. Kotetsu was a life saver. Thank you Anko-chan. Where are we?"

"My hideout," Anko said. "Yamato and I brought you here after we found you. He's off checking the perimeter."

Much to Anko's surprise, Sakura attempted to get up only to scream in pain. Anko gently guided Sakura back down and said, "You shouldn't push yourself Sakura. It'll take weeks, if not a month or two for you to get back on your feet."

Sakura closed her eyes tightly as she fought through the wave of pain that hit her. Slowly a vision came to her of Naruto, Sasuke and Madara. Something bad was coming soon….she knew it. "No," she said through gritted teeth. "I can't afford to wait that long. I need to get back as soon as possible."

"But Sakura…..." Anko said.

Sakura quickly interrupted her and said, "Listen Anko-chan, I'm not sure what their planning…..but Akatsuki…..there're going to making their final move soon, I know it. I need to be ready. I need you to do something for me."

Anko sighed deeply. As much as she wanted to protest she knew Sakura was right. The way things had been progressing lately proved Akatsuki was becoming far more aggressive. If Sakura could get back on her feet quickly, Anko had to help make it happen. "Fine," Anko replied. "What do you need?"

"I need you to cook for me," sakura said.

Anko immediately recoiled in horror. "C-cook," she stuttered.

"Yes," Sakura replied. "Take this list of ingredients down and have Yamato go out and get them. I'll also need as much food as you can spare."

Over then next few days Sakura spent her time eating as much food as she could. The ingredients she had Yamato collect were for Anko to make her specialized Soldier Pills. Anko and Yamato sat in awe as Sakura consumed food and Soldier Pills endlessly_. I haven't seen anyone eat like this since Choji_, Yamato thought to himself.

As the days passed, Sakura's strength grew and Anko marveled at how quickly she was recovering. In two days Sakura was able to stand on her own. Within five her broken bones were all nearly healed and ten days later many of her scars were beginning to fade.

Nearly a month had passed since her run in with Sasuke as Sakura stood on the small terrace in Anko's home. Anko's place was a small wooden, three room house, suspended on a large tree overlooking a waterfall. Sakura took a deep breath and took in the fresh crisp air. As she looked out at the waterfall she could see a faint rainbow and birds and butterflies flying about. The place was a small paradise. Anko had covered the placed with lots of foliage so that even from close by a person had a hard time noticing the place.

Sakura looked at her hand and balled it into a fist and squeezed. She then looked on the inside of her blouse and saw that the small purple diamond had returned just above her heart.

Anko walked out onto the terrace and looked at Sakura. _I can't believe it_, she thought. _Her wounds would have taken anyone else two months or more to heal from at least. And she's practically one hundred percent in just about two weeks. Yamato wasn't kidding when he said Sakura has finally surpassed Lady Tsunade._

"Sakura," Anko said, "It looks like your back to fighting form."

"Close," Sakura said, "I'm not fully healed yet. But I think I'm good enough for me to make my way back to Konoha."

"About that," Anko said, "Yamato and I have been talking and we don't think it's a good idea for you to go back just yet. Come inside, we need to talk."

Sakura followed Anko inside where Yamato sat waiting. "Ok," Sakura said, "What's all this garbage about me not going back to Konoha?"

"Calm down Sakura," Yamato said. "Look, I think it's fairly obvious that Danzo was responsible for setting you up."

"All the more reason to go back," Sakura said. "I can take him down!"

"No you can't Sakura," Anko said. "Take it from someone who knows, Danzo is slippery. You don't have any actual proof of his guilt and without it you can't do anything. And besides, if you return, not only will Danzo know you're alive but so will Akatsuki and they'll try to kill you again."

"So what do you suggest I do," Sakura asked.

"Right now I think its best you lay low," Yamato said. "As you know Tsunade and the others are planning to go after Danzo. I think we should wait for that moment and then we can strike."

"What," Sakura said, "But it could be another few weeks before they're ready. Do you guys just expect me to sit around and hide!'

"Of course not," Anko said. "Yamato and I were thinking we could use this time to take out as much Akatsuki forces in the area as we could. It's not much but it's something."

Sakura thought about it for a few minutes and then said, "Fine. I'll go along with your plan for now."

"Great," Yamato said. Yamato then threw a package at Sakura's feet.

Sakura picked it up and opened it. "This is an ANBU uniform," she said.

"Yes," Anko said, "What better way to move about without risking someone recognizing you." Anko then pulled a small paper seal from her pocket. "You'll also need this," she said.

"What's that," Sakura asked.

"It's a standard ANBU seal that masks chakra signatures," Anko said. "This will prevent ninja who can sense chakra from spotting you."

Sakura picked up the seal and looked at it. _No one who can sense my chakra_, she thought to herself.

_******Border between the Land of Fire and Land of Sound – Now******_

Sakura sat and stared as the last of the fire began to die out in their make shift campfire. When the sun had set Anko had suggested they stop moving and get some rest in anticipation for what lay ahead. Since she couldn't sleep anyway, Sakura volunteered to take the first shift.

As Anko and Yamato fell asleep Sakura leapt up to a high tree branch above them and sat watch. As she did her mind began to wander and she recalled all the things she had been through over the years, and all the trials and tribulations since becoming a Genin. And throughout it all she kept coming back to Naruto.

No matter how hopeless the situation, Naruto smiled. No matter how dark the times, he smiled. When their backs were against the wall, he smiled. And when she was at her saddest, he smiled.

And yet, Sakura couldn't help but wonder how many times his smile was because of her. Because of something she had done or said. No matter what she did or how much she tried, Sakura always felt like she couldn't help him. Despite what she had said to Hinata, about having faith, in her heart all she wanted to do was go to him, to help him. And yet, she couldn't, once again she felt useless. Naruto was hundreds of miles away, thinking she was dead. Who knows what was going though his mind.

Sakura then recalled a moment that happened so long ago. She, Naruto, Yamato and Sai had gone after Orochimaru, hoping he'd lead them to Sasuke. It was then she saw it for the first time, the power of the Nine Tails. She remembered the fear she felt and the anguish.

"_It's always been like this," Sakura said back then. "The only things I seem capable of doing for Naruto are so small."_

"_It's not about the size of what you do for Naruto that's important," Yamato replied, "But how you feel about him that's important."_

As Sakura sat on the branch and looked up at the stars she rubbed her hand over the temporary seal placed on her left shoulder. "Only small things," she whispered to herself. At that moment Sakura made a decision. There was something she could do, even though it was small, for Naruto.

Sakura looked down at the temporary seal and peeled it away. Meanwhile, just below her, Yamato was laying on his back and looking up at her. Seeing her peel away the seal, Yamato smiled and closed his eyes.

Sakura had decided, no matter the cost, she was going to this little thing for Naruto. Closing her eyes, she focused on her chakra and forced all of it to flare out. Sakura was intent on sending Naruto a message. A message only he could understand.

And, several hundred miles away, in a small cell, sat Naruto in meditation. As he has been doing for the past month, he has been training his Sage chakra. Suddenly Naruto's eyes flew open in surprise, they were focused and steely. A light had flickered in the darkness and suddenly went out just as quickly. But it was enough for him to understand. And with that understanding a smile slowly crept along his face.

Message received.

End of Chapter VII

Next Time: Madara's Betrayal


	8. Madara's Betrayal

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome to the End of Innocence. As always I like to take this time to say I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

A special thanks to those who reviewed last chapter: maliousdei, 101FallingRock, iiDarkness, GravenImage, StoryMaster007, aej0185, Serenity Namikaze, tosakuai, ElRusso, Kushina's Truth of Hell, airnaruto45, charles cdv, theshrewedshrew and Pinulu.

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**RESPONCES**

**maliousdei **- Thanx. But actually it wasn't Katsuyu. Sakura has her own Slug named Kotetsu. I'm glad you liked what I did with Sakura letting Naruto know she's alive.

**101FallingRock** - Glad you liked the "little thing" Sakura was able to do. I know it's not the epic reunion many are waiting for but. But for now it's the best that can be done. So you liked the little Choji reference? Glad to here it.

**iiDarkness** - I'm happy you liked Sakura's message and we will be going back to focus on Naruto soon. As for what the scroll is it's...I picture of a puppy. I'm happy after re-reading chapter five you found it better to understand. I had a friend proof read it after I heard the complaints and he could see nothing wrong with it. So I was at a loss as to how to fix it.

**GravenImage** - Thanx.

**StoryMaster007** - Hmmm? Sakura's a whiny B*tch? Lol! Noooooo! I'm glad the chapter worked for you and sure I don't mind helping out a bit.

**aej1085** - You're welcome.

**Serenity Namikaze** - Dlad you liked it. Fear not, they will get together in time.

**tosakuai** - Thanx

**ElRusso** - Thanx. But I already know that. Remember Sakura's flashback? Kotetsu is the name of her slug. But Damn it I forgot there was a Kotetsu in the Naruto Universe. Damn I may have to go back and change the name.

**Kushina's** - You know I saw parts of that movie but never the whole thing. I don't recall seeing the end of it. O well. *shrug* But I'm happy to hear you liked Sakura's reaction. So you write as well? Hmmm? Perhaps I'll see what you have written.

**airnaruto45** - SIR YES SIR! MOVING SIR!

**charles cdv** - Thanx

**theshrewedshrew** - I appreciate your honesty regarding the summons. TBH, during my planning of Sakura's evolution I considered other animals for her. But when I considered her as a character; the fact that she had learned everything from Tsunade (who only knows slug summons) and my idea's for her battles (the ones I've done and one that i have yet to do) having her summoning slugs just made more sense to me.

You are right that Naruto will soon be taking the lead again in my story as I'll soon be taking things to "act 2" as it were and everyone will soon be preparing for the FINAL confrontation. Naruto has some surprising plans coming soon that will cement everyone's faith in him. He truely will prove that he isn't the "knucklehead ninja" anymore.

Funny thing about Madara's plans for Sasuke. You really should read this chapter.

**Pinulu** - HEY! A future brother of the armed forces! I'm a 95 Bravo in the US Army Reserves! Good luck man Basic is gonna be one of the greatest and most frustrating times of your life. The work will be murdurous but when you have time to play those will be memories that last forever dude! Good luck. As for your review...thanx dude. A shame you won't be around to see how this all ends but hopefully when your done you can sit back and find my story and it'll be a great read for you. Again good luck to you dude!

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**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Ok, so I'm glad you guys are here to read chapter 8. Please remember to send a little review my way when you get the chance.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter VIII: Madara's Betrayal

_******Kirigakure – Akatsuki Headquarters – Sometime after midnight******_

Sasuke was lying in his bed naked, covered only by thin sheet, looking up at the ceiling. Snuggled next to him was a sleeping Karin. He looked to her and removed the bit of her hair that had fallen over her face and he noticed just how peaceful she seemed now; how content.

Sasuke had heard that sex had the ability to calm one's soul. He could see that in her face now. Yet he could not feel that within himself. Laying there he came to realize something, that despite everything he'd done to sever the connections in his life he still craved it. So in the end what he had done with Karin wasn't for her benefit but his own.

No matter how much she tried, Karin could never connect with him spiritually or mentally. So he settled for the flesh. Yet even that was insufficient.

Sasuke suddenly winced in pain and began to massage his temples. He didn't bother to mention this to Madara or Karin but ever since his operation he'd been getting increasingly severe headaches. At first they were nothing but a barely acknowledgeable annoyance. But now they had grown in such intensity that the last one blurred his vision. Now he knew something was wrong.

Sasuke carefully moved Karin's hand from his chest and sat up. He reached over and found his pants and quickly put them on and got to his feet. Looking back to make sure he hadn't woken her, he padded to the small sink and mirror on the other side of his room where he poured himself a full glass of water and drank it down.

He placed the glass at the edge of the sink and then washed his face. Again he felt a sharp jolt of pain and he lost balance, knocking over the glass as he fell to his knees.

The shattering of the glass woke Karin up who groggily sat up in the bed. "What was that Sasuke-kun," Karin said as she reached for her glasses. Looking around Karin saw Sasuke splayed out on the floor and she yelled, "Sasuke-kun!"

Karin quickly got out of bed and wrapped the sheet around her body and ran over to Sasuke who was tense and grabbing his head and face. "What's wrong Sasuke," Karin yelled as she desperately looked to see if she could find what was hurting him.

"My…..head," Sasuke yelled through gritted teeth. "My…head is pounding! Like it's in a vice! And my eyes…..my eyes are burning! What's happening to me!"

Quickly, Karin got up and ran and retrieved her medical kit that was laying on the floor by the exit. She ran back as Sasuke rolled about and yelled in pain. Karin took out her little pen light and grabbed both sides of Sasuke's head and said, "Sasuke, I need you to open your eyes and look at me! Look at me Sasuke!"

Sasuke fought through the pain and slowly opened his eyes and as Karin looked at them she gasped and the pen light fell out of her suddenly weak hand. "Oh my God," she said.

Karin stared at amazement at what she was seeing. Sasuke's Mangekyo Sharingan was activated, yet instead of its usual red and black tint it was now turning completely grey. "What's going on Karin," Sasuke yelled.

Still in shock Karin stuttered, "Y…your eyes….they're…"

Before she could stammer out her answer Karin felt a firm hand grab her by the shoulder and toss her aside, throwing her halfway across the room. To her surprise, she looked up to see Madara had entered the room with Zetsu just behind him.

Madara quickly dropped to one knee and forcefully grasped Sasuke by the head and, using two fingers, forced Sasuke's eyes open. "Yes," Madara said. "The final transformation is happening at last Zetsu. Though it's a bit sooner than I originally anticipated. But I guess it's a credit to you Sasuke and your incredible ability to heal. You've come along way."

Sasuke groaned and then yelled as the pain in his eyes and head threatened to make him lose consciousness. It felt like someone was taking a knife and slicing through his brain and eye sockets.

Sasuke's vision was blurry at best and he tried to break free of Madara's vice-like grasp to no avail. "Calm down Sasuke," Madara said. "I'm merely making sure the transformation takes place properly."

"Transformation," Sasuke screamed. "What transformation! Damn you Madara, what the fuck have you done to me?"

Madara remained silent and focused on what he was seeing. Despite Sasuke's struggles Madara was able to keep Sasuke's head in place. Scared and visibly trembling, Karin looked over Madara's shoulder and gasped. _Sasuke's eyes are bleeding_, she thought to herself.

"Ah yes," Madara said. "Do you see this Zetsu. His retina and cornea are adjusting to the new cells I've added. Though the pain is as much as I thought it would be. But the overall transformation is happening faster than I've ever seen." Madara then laughed and said, "Sasuke, you are truly a marvel!"

Zetsu then looked over Madara's shoulder and grinned. He then said, "Yes, my Lord. Things do appear to be moving splendidly."

Satisfied, Madara let go of Sasuke who fell forward onto the floor. Karin quickly scrambled over to him and helped him to sit up. Weakly, Sasuke said, "Damn…..you…Madara. It doesn't surprise me…..that you would….betray me eventually. But why now!"

Madara chuckled and said, "Betray you? Why my dear Sasuke I have done nothing of the sort. No. In fact you should be on your hands and knees thanking me."

"What the hell are you talking about Madara," Sasuke said.

"Just what it sounds like," Madara responded. "I haven't betrayed you. What I have done in fact is given you the power to overcome your previous limitations and defeat all of your enemies."

Sasuke yelled, "Limitations! What limitations! I have the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan! I have all the power I need to…."

"To what," Madara yelled. "To destroy Konoha! To destroy this ninja world? Damn Sasuke you are so naïve! Do you really think that the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan alone is enough to achieve all your goals?"

Sasuke sat quietly, unable to respond.

"Sasuke," Madara said, "if having the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan was enough to destroy Konoha and this ninja world I would have done it long ago. I've tried….many times…..and every time…..I failed. But you Sasuke….you are not as weak as I am. You have the strength to overcome the limitations of the Uchiha bloodline and transcend all expectations."

"Who are you fooling Madara," Sasuke said as the pain began to subside. "Save your speeches for the weaklings starved for your false promises. You and I both know the truth. You don't do this for my benefit but your own. And in the end, even though I can and will surpass you, it's because of that, that you fear me."

"True enough," Madara responded. "But I am far too old and far too close to my goals to allow myself to get caught up in petty jealousy. As always, our arrangement is mutually beneficial. You assist me with attaining my goal. And my success will mean the end of the Ninja World you so despise."

"If it was as simple as that then why trick me," Sasuke ask. "Why not just tell me what you wanted to do and allow me to decide?"

"Because you would have refused Sasuke," Madara said. "Stop lying to yourself. You would've never allowed this. Your pride as an Uchiha limits your scope. It is that same pride that kept you from accepting Itachi's eyes for so long. You would have fought against it and you know it. This was the best way."

"What have you done to me Madara," Sasuke asked.

"Given you what you've always secretly wanted since you were a child," Madara responded.

"All I want is revenge," Sasuke said.

"Revenge," Madara said and chuckled. "No Sasuke. Revenge is just an excuse. The latest crutch you've created so you don't have to admit to yourself what you truly want; what you truly are. What you want…..is power. To be the strongest. To have no equal. It's always been your secret desire, am I right?"

Sasuke sat silent for a while. His eyes still forced shut. "You're wrong," he said. "My need for power is just a means to an end."

Madara laughed deeply before saying, "Please Sasuke. Stop with the games. You've wanted power and have been jealous of those who've had more than you, ever since you entered the ninja world. As a child you fought for your fathers' approval. Secretly you wanted to have the power to leave him in awe! And your brother! How often did you dream of surpassing him! Of being superior to him!"

"And even your sensei Kakashi," Madara continued. "Part of you was always jealous of him…..hated him for his ability to master an Uchiha's eyes in a way you could not! Part of you dreamt of the day when you had more power than him! The day when you could rip that eye from that imposter's skull!"

"And Naruto," Madara said. "Yes Naruto, the one who is to be your rival. The one you hated because he dared rival you. Who was he anyway? Some goofy kid who could barely graduate from the academy. An orphan? A person without a sense of family pride and nothing to call his own? How dare he challenge you! You, the son of the leader of the Uchiha. A genious! And every time he came close…every time he showed that he could be as strong….no…stronger….than you…..you hated him even more! And in the end that hate….and your need to prove you were better….drove you to Orochimaru…..and then to me. Not Revenge."

"Lies," Sasuke whispered.

"Deny it all you want Sasuke," Madara said triumphantly. "But it's as you say: All things are laid bare before the eyes of the Sharingan. Including your soul. Revenge? No. It is the endless cycle of hate and lust for power, born within the Uchiha, started by our earliest ancestor that drives you. No matter what, it was your destiny to come to me."

Sasuke grabbed hold of the sink behind him and slowly pulled himself to his feet as Madara and Zetsu turned to leave. "I know this will be hard to accept at first Sasuke," Madara said. "But I'm sure you already can feel the additional power that my gift has given you coursing through your veins. And though you won't admit it, you love it. Soon, you'll know that this feeling is all you've ever truly wanted."

Sasuke finally pulled himself up on his feet and breathed heavily before looking up at the mirror. Slowly he opened his eyes and at first his vision was clouded and he was unable to see anything save for the faintest of light.

Quickly his vision began to return and Sasuke, covered in sweat and tense, gripped the sink so hard it groaned under the strain. In the mirror, Sasuke gritted his teeth and stared in horror as Madara stopped at the door.

Just before he closed the door behind him Madara said, "Congratulations Sasuke. You have finally gotten what you've always wanted; to have the ultimate power. You have a power not seen in this world since the days when The Sage of the Six Paths lived."

Sasuke looked at his eyes in horror as he saw that his entire eye, including his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan was now colored grey and black. With black ripples expanding out from the iris. "What," Sasuke said, "What is this? What am I?"

"You're the first Uchiha to go beyond the limitations of the Sharingan," Madara said. "You now have the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and the Rinnegan."

Without saying another word, Madara closed the door behind him and began to walk away. Behind him, in Sasuke's room, Madara heard Sasuke scream and the crash of what he assumed was the mirror being shattered.

_******SunaGakure Prisons – The Next Morning******_

Naruto stood in his cell staring out of the small window. He took a deep breath and stretched. Today was finally the day. After a month of waiting around doing nothing today was the day of his trial. It would begin in less than an hour and despite not having any real plan, Naruto somehow felt at peace.

"Ready to go," Shikamaru asked as he sat nearby tying his shoes.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Naruto said with a smile.

"You're in a good mood considering what we're about to face today," Shikamaru said as he got to his feet.

"Yeah," Naruto said as he turned to face his friend. "Miracles have a way of doing that too you."

Shikamaru walked up to Naruto and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad she's still alive Naruto," he said.

"Me too," Naruto said with a smile. "Anyway, any type of game plan that we can possibly use during this trial?"

"Not really," Shikamaru said. "I've had you go over every event from that mission from the moment you left Konoha to when you left to fight Sasuke and I can't find one clue that we can use to help prove your innocence. Whoever planned this whole thing left nothing to chance. How you were able to survive that trap is a miracle in of itself."

"Great," Naruto said. "Then what do we do?"

"Well," Shikamaru said. "There's maybe one game plan we can go with. As you know Krolik is going to be the one attempting to prove our guilt. In my previous dealings with him I can tell you he's a shrewd negotiator. And has the ability to manipulate any situation to his advantage. However, he does have one weakness; one I was able to use to my advantage once and beat him."

"Oh," Naruto said. "What's that?"

"His arrogance," Shikamaru said. "He'll never admit it but Krolik believes himself to be the master of negotiations and looks his nose down on anyone who challenges him. He believes everyone is beneath him in intelligence and cunning. If we could use that against him; turn his own hubris into our ally; then maybe we won't have to prove our innocence. Perhaps he'll do it for us. How does that sound?"

Naruto glared at Shikamaru and said, "Sounds to me like you don't have much of a plan at all and you're just gonna wing it and hope for the best."

Shikamaru smiled and threw his arm around Naruto's shoulder and said, "Yep. I learned how to do that from the best in the business."

Just then the cell doors opened and Temari, along with four guards entered the room. "Ok guys,' she said, 'It's time."

Shikamaru walked up to her and could see the concern in her eyes. "Don't worry," he said.

Naruto then said, "Do you guys mind if I stay here alone for moment. I….just need to gather my thoughts."

"Of course," Temari said. "You have three minutes." Everyone then left, closing the door and Naruto was finally alone.

Wasting no time, Naruto bit his thumb causing a small drop of blood to leak out. He then wiped the blood on his palm and slammed it to the ground and said, "Summoning Jutsu!"

_******Meanwhile – In the hallway outside the cell******_

Shikamaru stood outside the cells with Temari and four guards. "You four stay here and wait for Naruto," Temari said. "I'll escort Shikamaru myself."

"Do you think that's wise Temari-chan," one of the guards said. "I mean what if this guy tries to escape and what about Naruto? We left him alone with the cell door unlocked. And neither of the prisoners are restrained."

Temari sighed and then said, "Don't worry about these guys. They won't do anything funny. Besides, if they wanted to escape, they would have done it already. No amount of rope or cell could have stopped them. Let's go Shikamaru."

As the two walked down the hall Shikamaru quickly glanced at Temari's face as she looked straight ahead. Her expression was grim and the silence between them was deafening. During their time together Shikamaru had gotten to know her pretty well. Temari, was hardly ever scared of anything. But in the few times she was, she would go silent; as if all of her energy was currently being used to prevent her from showing fear. But Shikamaru knew better.

"You don't have to worry you know," he said without even looking at her. "Our plan may not be the greatest but it'll work."

"And what if it doesn't," she asked.

"Hey," he said with a shrug and a smile, "I'm not above crying for mercy."

"This isn't some game Shikamaru," Temari screamed as she seemed on the verge of tears.

Temari was then stunned to see Shikamaru had the brightest smile on his face. Shikamaru then touched the side of her face and gently wiped away a tear. "Like I said," he said. "Don't worry."

Temari moved Shikamaru's hand away and smiled a little and whispered, "Idiot. Why do men have to pretend like things are ok when it obviously isn't?"

"Because it's our job," Shikamaru said. "And because….we're idiots when it comes to these things. It's all we can think of to do."

Temari laughed as they continued to walk down the hall.

_******Meanwhile – Back in the Cell******_

"So that's the plan Shima-sensei," Naruto said as he spoke to small female frog.

"So," Shima said, "You've finally received the legacy of Minato-san? But how do you plan to learn that jutsu? It's not something I or any of the other toads know.'

Naruto then reached into his pocket and removed the small scroll he'd been carrying. I've been studying the technique for the past month. I know I can pull it off, but I just need to practice it now."

Shima looked astonished as Naruto handed her the scroll. "This is," she said. "I…can't believe he left this for you. He must have had great faith that you'd become strong Naruto-boy." Shima opened the scroll and looked at the diagram drawn and said, "Hmmm, we have the materials. And we should be able to make them. But you didn't give us much time."

"I'm sorry Shima-sensei," Naruto said. "But I had to wait for the proper time. Plus it took some time to study. How many do you think you can make?"

"Ten," Shima said. "Maybe a dozen, but no more than that. Not with so little time."

"Only a dozen," Naruto asked. "Alright. It will have to do. Please begin making them quickly. I'll be along as soon as I finish here."

"Of course Naruto-boy," Shima said. "See you soon." Shima then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto then heard a knock on the door. It was one of the guards. "Hey," the guard said, "The trial is starting soon. We have to go."

"Of course," Naruto said as he made his way out of the room, "Let's get this over with."

End of Chapter VIII

Next Time: The Trial of Namikaze Naruto


	9. The Trial of Namikaze Naruto

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to the End of Innocence. As always i begin by saying I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

Thanks to those who reviewed my last chapter: Gravenimage; FallingRock; charles cdv; iiDarkness; xluluxlunax; StoryMaster007; FoxSage19; Neverland Funhouse; airnaruto45; Pinulu; Sasuke K; thesrewedsrew; Mudcake; InARealPickle& Kushina's Truth of Hell.

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**RESPONSES**

**GravenImage** - Thanx

**FallingRock** - Who's to Say Naruto doesn't fight both of them? Lol. Dude...perhaps you should just stay out of the water all together. Lol.

**charles cdv** - Thanx

**iiDarkness **- Actually I've decided to call it the Mangekyo Rinnegan. Lol! As for Kushina I have decided to place in in my story. But not the way you may assume. And i do have plans for the Kyubi when it relates to Naruto. I think you'll be surprised with Naruto when I truely decide to let him cut loose. Mwhahaha!

**xluluxlunax** - Thanx. But don't undersestimate Naruto just yet. Heheh!

**StoryMaster007** - Lol! I think i once said in one of my review responces that I intended ot make Narutos path a difficult one. I think you now see what I mean yes? Lol! Glad you like the story so far. Send me an email and let me know what kinda help you need.

**FoxSage19** - No biddy. Hope your vacation was a good one. Yes, Sasuke has the powers of Pain as well as his own now. How will NAruto overcome the Mangekyo Rinnegan? We'll just have to wait and see.

**Neverland Funhouse** - Thanx. Hope I can keep the excitement going.

**airnaruto45** - The betrayal came from Madara doing so without Sasuke's permission. Deep down Sasuke loves the power but is unwilling to admit it.

**Pinulu **- Yep, Naruto has his work cut out for him. But I think naruto will find a way...hopefully.

**Sasuke K** - Thanx. And welcome back! Where did you go?

**theshrewedshrew** - Thanx for the review. I've been working real hard to make sure the characters talk and flow in a legitamte and compelling way and I'm glad it seems to be working.

**Mudcake** - Really? The only one? Well that's high praise indeed. Thanx. Sasuke is cursed by his powers and family. It gives him strength but it is also destroying him. Hey, I have love for SasuKarin myself and considering all the sacrifices she's made for Sasuke I thought she deserved to smile, even if her smile will not last. Ahh, that fight was one i liked writing as it featured an OC and another little known character. Using them I could be creative and not be forced to stick to canon abilities.

**InARealPickle** - Really? Is that all you're interested in now? Hmmm, that's a bit dissapointing. But I'll take it if it means you keep reading. =P

**Kushina's** - Hah! I got you nosebleed! Ok, TBH that was my objective when I first started writing the Chronicles! So I guess I can stop now! My work is done! Oh, and now I'll have to read it! With such an invitation i can't resist. Heheh.

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Ok, so here is chapter nine. Hope you enjoy and **please** remember to send a little** review** my way.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter IX: The Trial of Namikaze Naruto

******Sunagakure – Early Morning******

Despite it being only a few hours past sunrise the sun was scorching hot as Naruto was escorted by the four Suna ninja. One of the ninja had remarked that Naruto was being given special treatment. It was customary for any trial to be held at the prisons, in a special room near the top tower. But instead the Kazekage had insisted on having the trial at his headquarters instead.

So there they were, walking to the other side of the village in the hot morning sun. Naruto looked around and saw dozens of citizens standing in a crowd on either side of the walkway and even more looking out of windows or open doors.

Naruto noticed everyone seemed to regard him with cautious enthusiasm and suspicion, and Naruto wasn't sure if they were on the verge of cheering or throwing stones. As they walked, one of the nearby guards saw the confusion etched on his face and spoke up.

"They're not sure how to treat you," he said causing Naruto to look at him. "According to the evidence, you're the one responsible for Koga's murder." Naruto turned and looked forward and grimaced as the memory of seeing Sasuke remove his blade from Koga's chest played again in his mind. Sasuke didn't even look in Koga's direction as the man fell. It was if Koga didn't exist to him, he was inconsequential and insignificant. In Sasuke's eyes, Naruto could see that killing Koga was akin to swatting a fly.

"However," the ninja said which caused Naruto to snap out of his momentary memory. "The people also remember that you were the one sent by Konoha to rescue our beloved Kazekage four years ago. So they don't really know what to think." The man then moved in closer so that no one could hear his words. "Personally," he whispered. "I don't think a man who would work so hard and sacrifice so much to save the leader of another village would be capable of killing in cold blood. And I'm not the only one who thinks this."

Naruto gave a small, barely visible smile as they continued to walk through the growing crowd of stone faced citizens. After a few more minutes they finally arrived at the office building of the Kazekage and entered. Naruto noticed there were more guards than usual stationed around the building and on the roofs of the buildings nearby. The message Gaara was sending to everyone was clear. Despite Naruto's past this trial was not being taken lightly.

The group then entered the main entrance and out of the blazing sun into a cool lobby where a burly, barrel-chested middle aged man with a weather beaten face and a deep scar on the left side of his face sat at a heavy wooden desk with stacks of papers strewn about. Behind him stood three ninja who stood ramrod straight and looked dead ahead as if they were statues. The man looked at Naruto with a hard face. "So this is the guy accused of killing Koga-san huh," he said. His voice sounded like he had a handful of sand lodged in his mouth and she spat when he talked.

The man sat back in his creaky wooden chair and said, "I'm not sure why Kazekage-sama chose to have this trial here instead of at the prisons but it doesn't matter. I'm sure you saw all the guards around here. If you try anything here they'll be all over you in seconds. And on a personal note; Koga was a good friend of mine. So I don't care what you've done for Suna in the past. If you're found guilty or try to escape, I'll be the first in line to execute you myself."

Naruto simply stood silently and stared at the man who motioned for the guards to go on. One guard pushed Naruto gently in the back as a sign to start walking and the group turned left and went up a long spiral steps heading towards the Kazekage's office.

After a few minutes they got to the top and came to a large lobby where Shikamaru, Temari and five more guards stood waiting. Naruto walked up next to Shikamaru who was waiting patiently for the door to open. "Leave it to you to keep everyone waiting Naruto," he said with a half smile.

"Sorry," Naruto said. "I had something I had to do before coming here."

"And what would that be," Shikamaru asked.

"I needed to prepare for after this trial," Naruto said.

"Well," Shikamaru replied, "I'm glad you're so optimistic."

"Did you get a chance to meet that guy downstairs," Naruto asked.

"You mean that ox with a human face," Shikamaru asked with a smile. "Yeah he's real charming that guy. He's a real piece of work."

Shikamaru and Naruto stood in front of the large wooden door in silence for a few more minutes when Shikamaru said, "Ok, here are a few things I should tell you. When we get in there they are going to ask you a lot of questions. Some of them will be the same over and over in hopes that you mix things up. So just stick to the truth and no matter how quickly they ask a question answer it slowly."

"Right," Naruto said.

"Also," Shikamaru continued, "Keep your answers short. If you start going into long explanations the more likely you'll say something Krolik will try to use against you. Also, Krolik will likely ask you questions or say things hoping to piss you off. Nothing screams guilt like a person who can't keep his cool. So for God's sake stay calm in there!'

With a look of annoyance Naruto turned to Shikamaru and asked, "When have I ever…." Before he could finish his question however, Shikamaru had turned and looked at him harshly and Naruto then said, "Right. I'll keep my cool."

Suddenly the double doors slowly began to open and they saw two ninja standing in their way. One of them said, "Please follow us," and they both turned and walked back into the room. Naruto and Shikamaru looked at each other once and then walked in with Temari behind them.

As they entered the room they saw in was a large conference room with large body length windows on the opposite side. The room was practically empty except for twelve chairs lined up in rows of four. Several paces beyond the chairs; in the exact center of the circular room was a table with two chairs which faced a large table on a raised platform.

Seated in this table was Gaara in the middle and flanked on each side by several Suna elders including Krolik and Baki. Seated in the rows were only a few select people including Kankuro and Matsuri who watched as Naruto and Shikamaru was led passed them and to the table.

"Well, this is odd," Naruto whispered. "What's with this set up?"

"Isolation," Shikamaru said. "By placing us in a large room and leaving us so far separated from everyone the idea is to increase the tension. That's also why they are seated in that elevated platform. To give a physical representation of the power they have over us right now. It's all a big mind fuck. Don't let it get to you."

Finally the two got to the desk and sat down as Temari took a seat next to her brother. As soon as everyone was seated Gaara spoke up. "Well, I'm sure we all know why we're here. I'm not one for over formality so let's just get on with it. Namikaze Naruto, Nara Shikamaru, the two of you are charged with the murder of one of our elders, Kawashita Koga. Have you any questions before we begin?"

"I have one," Naruto said. "Why did you refer to me as Namikaze?"

"Over the past few weeks," Gaara replied, "Word has come from Konoha that the child of the Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage, has been found. Imagine our surprise when it was revealed that this child was the same man who defeated the Akatsuki Pain and is the host of the Nine Tails. Since then, everyone has been referring to you as Namikaze. I believe, under the circumstances, we should do the same."

Naruto sat back in his chair and sighed deeply. He then whispered to Shikamaru, "I bet you anything Granny Tsunade was behind this. I asked her to hold off on doing something like this for while."

"To be honest Naruto I think letting people know was pretty smart," Shikamaru said which made Naruto look at him with surprise. "Have you any idea the political fallout that could be caused if Suna actually threatens to kill you, the hero of Konoha? Why do you think it's taken them a month to have our trial? More than likely the elders and Gaara are divided on whether or not this is a good move. If they were to kill you it could unify Konoha against them which could prove disastrous."

"And that was before they learned you are also the son of the Fourth," Shikamaru continued. "Lady Fifth most likely knew this would cause upheaval within Suna."

Naruto couldn't help but smile. Fighting enemies and Akatsuki was one thing but the political battle was something completely foreign to him yet just as deadly. It was obvious to him now that Gaara was right in forcing Shikamaru to be with him now.

"Namikaze," Gaara said. "I would like for you to recount your story of what happened that day."

******Meanwhile – Hidden Village near Otogakure******

Sakura, Anko and Yamato broke camp an hour before sunrise and continued their way towards Otogakure when they had come across another five man team of Akatsuki ninja. After a quick fight they were able to successfully interrogate the last one they had left conscious and received exact directions to the village.

From that point they decided it was best to avoid confrontation so that no alarms could be raised. A few hours later they came to a large clearing where about a dozen small homes had been erected and a few men were milling about doing nothing of seeming importance.

"This has got to be it," Yamato whispered. "There are way too many people here for only a dozen buildings. And these guys all look dangerous to me."

"Yep," Anko said. "There is definitely something wrong about this place. But just to make sure I'm sending some of my snakes to check the place out." Anko lowered her arm near the ground and about two dozen snakes slithered out of her sleeve and scattered out into the city. "If Neji and his team are alive we'll find them."

"So what do you think the best way is to do this," Sakura asked.

"We wait a bit and then split up," Yamato said. "And we check every building one by one. I'm sure we'll find some clues there."

******Meanwhile – SunaGakure******

"….and that's everything that happened," Naruto said as he stood in front of the elders of Sunagakure. The elders began to whisper among themselves as Naruto sat back down. Shikamaru had sat quietly and listened to Naruto's recount of the story. He had heard Naruto retell this story to him hundreds of times over the last month and what he said here was almost, word for word, as he had heard before.

Naruto's story remained consistent except for one thing. Naruto didn't say which Akatsuki ninja he confronted when Koga died. He kept referring to Sasuke as just 'a member of Akatsuki'. He had omitted Sasuke's name completely. Shikamaru couldn't help but shake his head. Despite everything, even if it made things difficult, Naruto still defended Sasuke. But in truth, it wasn't surprising, just a bit disappointing.

"Your story seems very convenient to me," Krolik finally said. "You expect us to believe that your Hokage suddenly finds mysterious evidence that there are Akatsuki agents in Kumo and instead of bringing this evidence to the Raikage he instead sends you, the man he previously banished, to secretly investigate these claims. And that it was co-incidence that you just so happened to arrive the same time as our honored elder. And that you had nothing to do with his death, despite the fact that it was you who was seen there, holding a bloody weapon. And that no Akatsuki members, were seen in or even near Kumo?"

"I don't give a fuck what you believe," Naruto screamed as he got to his feet. "What I've told you is the truth!"

"Naruto," Shikamaru whispered sternly as he placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder and pulled him back into his seat. "What did I tell you about losing your temper? It'll do us no good here."

"You would do well to listen to your friend Namikaze," Krolik said smugly, knowing he had already gained a small victory.

"What proof do you have that Naruto or Konoha for that matter would want to harm Koga or anyone else in Sunagakure," Shikamaru asked.

"You mean besides the accounts of the Raikage himself and his men," Krolik asked.

"Well, if they are so trusted then why have you declared war on Kumo as well," Shikamaru asked.

"It is our belief that despite Kumo's claims that in fact both Kumo and Konoha worked in conjunction to murder Koga," Krolik said.

"That's nonsense," Naruto yelled as he again got to his feet. "Why the hell would Konoha do that? We've had a truce for seven years with Suna!"

"Had," Krolik said. "Yes you did. But that truce was ended once your Sixth took office! It is our belief that Konoha planned along with Kumo to kill Koga, thereby throwing Suna into turmoil. Doing so would allow both villages to invade and split the spoils of war. Considering you two are….I mean…..were the last two villages with Jinchuricki. But with the capture of the Eight Tailed host Kumo has suddenly been thrown into chaos."

Shikamaru sat silently and considered what he'd heard. Naruto continued to rant about how impossible Krolik's claims were but Shikamaru had to admit to himself that they had made sense. After Naruto's defeat of Pain and subsequent banishment, Danzo's new regime swept in like a hurricane blowing away anything and everything in its path. One of his first decisions was to radically reduce the amount of co-operation Konoha had with Suna. His reasons when asked was that allowing Suna access to us was a major risk in our security. And with everything that had happened, the people were too weak to question him. Those that did were ignored.

So from then on the SunaGakure and Konoha truce began to dissolve until it returned to what it was before: full of suspicion and fear. It was at that point something dawned on Shikamaru and he immediately realized he needed more information.

Shikamaru took a long labored breath as he saw Naruto jump onto the table and continued to scream about his innocence. _Geez_, Shikamaru thought to himself. _I knew you'd eventually lose your cool Naruto but not so damned soon!_

As Naruto continued to break his promise to stay calm Shikamaru turned and signaled to Temari who was seated in the first row of seats about three feet back. Shikamaru leaned back as she crept up close enough to hear him.

"Temari," he whispered. "Something doesn't seem right. Kumogakure has always been against becoming too friendly with other villages. And from what I could remember Kumo definitely had no interest in making peace with Suna right?"

"Yes," she whispered. "I'm not sure what it's all about but it stems back about twenty years or so. Kumo accused us of trying to kidnap their Jinchuriki."

"Then why would you guys send an emissary there in the first place," Shikamaru asked.

"It was decided that we needed to do more to achieve a peace with Kumogakure," Temari responded. "So it was suggested that an Emissary be sent out immediately to Kumogakure to begin negotiations."

"Let me guess," Shikamaru said, "It was Krolik who suggested it."

Temari was a bit surprised. "Yes," she said. "Krolik championed the cause to have Koga sent as soon as possible about two months ago, which was a bit surprising because before then he was always against peace with Kumo. But then suddenly he changed his mind."

Shikamaru turned and glared at Krolik and said, "Yeah I bet." Shikamaru sat forward in his seat with his eyes closed and his arms folded across his chest as he tried to consider things. After a few more minutes he opened his eyes and smiled at Krolik who, not to his surprise, was staring directly at him.

Shikamaru got to his feet and said, "Hey Naruto, are you done?"

Naruto, who was still standing on the desk with an empty glass in his hand, stopped just as he seemed poised to hurl it at the Suna elders, turned and looked at Shikamaru. "Well, ummm, yeah I guess so," Naruto said as he climbed down from the desk.

"Sorry about that," Shikamaru said as he addressed the flustered elders. "I don't think it's any secret that my friend here isn't good and controlling his temper." Shikamaru motioned for Naruto to take his seat and he did just as Shikamaru bent down closer to him and whispered, "Naruto what the fuck was that all about?"

"They're accusing me of murder Shikamaru," Naruto said, "And of lying! And I never lie!"

Shikamaru sighed and shook his head. "Good job keeping your temper Naruto," he said sarcastically.

"Thanks," Naruto responded amusingly. "I really held back there."

Annoyed Shikamaru said, "Held back? You were about to throw a glass cup at them!"

"That's a lot better than what I wanted to really throw at them," Naruto said as he folded his arms and grimaced.

For a brief moment Shikamaru just glared at Naruto before saying, "When we get back you and I are gonna have some serious diplomatic training. We can't have our future Hokage stomping on tables and throwing glasses at people."

"Are you ready Nara Shikamaru," Krolik said impatiently.

"Of course," Shikamaru said as he stood up right and faced the elders.

"Good," Krolik said, "As silent as you've been I was wondering if you were planning to defend yourself at all. As if you could."

"Well," Shikamaru, "To be honest I think you may be right. I mean we really don't have any proof to back up our claim outside of our word. And it's obvious our word isn't good enough. So there really is only one thing to say here. Naruto…is guilty."

As Shikamaru said those words everyone stared at him in disbelief and the entire room went deathly quite.

******Hidden Village near Otogakure******

Sakura slid along the wall of one of the low buildings making sure to stay in the shadows as much as she could. Ideally, it would have been better to wait until nightfall, but they agreed that they needed to move quickly, Neji and the others, if alive needed to be helped immediately.

Sakura paused and ducked behind a large, half full garbage can as two men walked by. They stopped just around the corner in front of a door and began to talk. Sakura leaned forward a bit and could just make out what they were saying.

"It looks like the repairs are all but done," one of the men said.

"It's about damned time," the other replied. "I joined Akatsuki to crack heads not be a damned mechanic."

"Got that right," the first man replied. "Anyway, I gotta head back down below and get back to work. How about you?"

"I still have ten minutes of break time left," the second man said. "I'll be down in a bit." At that point the two men split up. One opened the door and went inside as the other came back around the corner towards Sakura.

Sakura crouched down even lower to ensure she couldn't be seen and as the man walked by she pounced up and lightly tapped the man several times at various places along his spine. Immediately the man lost all function of his limbs and was gasping for air. Before he could fall to the ground Sakura caught him and pulled him into the shadows.

She placed the man on his back as he fought frantically for air. His eyes were bulging as he made an inaudible wheezing noise. "I figure you have a minute, a minute and a half at best before you pass out so I suggest you answer me quickly," Sakura whispered. "Blink once for yes, twice for no. Will you answer my questions?" The man blinked once. "Good. If you try to scream you'll be dead in seconds. Do you understand?" Again the man blinked once.

Sakura then tapped the upper portion of the mans' spine and suddenly he could breath again. The man gasped and sputtered as he tried to breathe in as much air as he could to ease his burning lungs. Sakura gave the man just a few moments to gather himself before grabbing him by the collar. "Now answer my questions. I'm looking for some friends of mine. They're ninja from Konoha. One is a Hyuga and has the Byakugan. The second would be a scruffy looking guy with a ninja dog and a guy dressed in a tacky green jumpsuit."

At first the man grimaced, unwilling to answer. He tried to move and found he couldn't feel anything below his neck. Accepting his position the man spoke up. "They….they're being held in a prison cell down below. The boss wanted them separated from the other prisoners."

"Other prisoners," Sakura asked in surprise, "What other prisoners!"

"We've got a bunch," he said, "They're mostly travelers and townspeople we captured for labor. They're being kept in a cave to the west of here."

"Tch," Sakura said as she slammed her hand to the ground. This mission went from a simple search and rescue into something much more.

"What's the purpose of this place," she asked. "What kind of weapon are you keeping down below?"

Through a thick sheen of sweat the man smiled. "Sorry but I don't know," he said. "We're only allowed to fix and repair sections without knowing about other sections."

"How do I get down below," she asked.

"There's a trap door in every one of these buildings," he said. "But it'll do you no good. There are hundreds of ninja down there. You won't get far."

"We'll see about that," Sakura said as she punched the man in the side of the head, knocking him out. Sakura then looked up out of her hiding spot and made sure no one was there. She then snuck to the corner of the building and made sure that no one saw her. She then snuck over and opened the door and entered the small building.

Sakura spent the next few minutes checking the floor to find the opening to the trap door. Just as she located it she was about to reach to open it when she heard a booming voice behind her. "Hey! Who the hell are you!"

Sakura quickly turned to see two Akatsuki ninja had come inside and found her. _So much for stealth_, she thought to herself as the two ninja closed in.

End of Chapter IX

Next Time: Guilty


	10. Guilty

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to The Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I start off by stating that I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

Thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter: iiDarkness; GravenImage; FoxSage19; foxsage; PJ Hatake; jade destiny; Kushina's Truth of Hell; airnaruto45; FallingRock; charles cdv; Serenity Namikaze; Greed03114; Empkaylenatye; Sasuke K; Silver Senpai and wwefollower.

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**RESPONCES**

**iiDarkness** - Yep. Actually from now on I think I'll be releasing new chapters on Sundays. Naruto doesn't have to escape. Things will work out the right way. You'll see. As for other projects, I am working on another one shot. More information about that will be posted on my home page soon.

**GravenImage** - Naruto will be just fine in time.

**FoxSage19** - Thanx.

**foxsage **- I'm thinking about doing just that. I'm kinda using these fics to better my writing skills with the hope of writing a novel.

**PJ Hatake** - Thanx for reviewing. No biggy if you missed a few. Yeah, always trust Shika. He's just too smart to be underestimated.

**jade destiny** - Glad you liked Naruto's reaction. With this chapter I hope to channel Shika's inner lawyer. Hope it works out.

**kushina's** - Actually my dear I have plans for another scene or two that may get your nose bleeding yet again. :) Stop it though. i think you give me too much praise. I think my work is fine but it's not that good IMO. I'm just trying to get better. But thanx.

**airnaruto45** - Lol! Patience my friend. Everything you want will happen in time...maybe...probably...maybe.

**FallingRock** - Kisame's death in the manga...I didn't like it. But O well. Glad I'm keeping you on your toes btw. Lol.

**charles cdv** - Thanx.

**Serenity Namikaze** - Yeah. I wanted my Sasuke to have a bit more layers to his personality. I wanted him to still have inner struggles with the path he's chosen. I'm also happy you liked Madara's speech. After analyzing Sasuke's goals I think it's an accurate breakdown of Sasuke's Darkside.

As for Naruto's outburst; I wanted to add a bit of comedy while at the same time reminding readers that even though Naruto has become a mature man in the end he's still the "same old Naruto".

**GreedO3114 **- Ok, So I'll try to condence all your reviews into a brief responce:

**(a)** Yes, i decided to give Kisame a bit of a change. I just found his personality a bit flat so I added a little something. **(b) **Well, the reason it felt like you were reading the manga was because I just used most of the canon fight with just a few changes. I just found that the better way to go for what I wanted to do. **(c)** It's alright if you giggle like a school girl...really...it's my goal to make all my readers giggle. Even if you're a 250lbs 40yr old man. **(d)** So you're a giggling crack addict now? LOL! And don't worry, that prisoner won't say a word, you'll see. **(e)** Shhh! Don't let people know I messed up with the slug contract. Lol! **(f) **I love when those two pair up and hang out too. When I began writing this story I knew I had to set it up for them to go on a quick buddy adventure. **(g)** Yes, it's a bit odd to call him Namikaze. But IMO, once the world knows he's the Fourth's son it makes sense his name would have to change.

**EmpKaylenatye** - Thanx.

**Sasuke K **- Maybe he should have. Lol.

**Silver Senpai **- Has he learned FTG? i don't know. :shrug:

**wwefollower** - Thanx.

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**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Ok, so **please** remember to **review** this chapter. Also so you guys know, **next week I will release a double sized chapter!** Why? Because after that I'll be taking two weeks off. That's right, I'm heading on vacation for a couple weeks so there will be two weeks of no new chapters. Sorry. So again, **next week there will be a double sized chapter then a two week hiatus.** Thanx.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter X: Guilty

"Guilty? What the hell do you mean I'm guilty," Naruto yelled as he leapt to his feet. Naruto grabbed Shikamaru by his shoulders and began to shake him violently. "Shikamaru have you lost your mind?"

Ignoring Naruto's predictable outburst Shikamaru placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder and pushed him back into his seat. All the while he kept his eyes on the elders and had a smile plastered on his face.

Gaara and the others seemed shocked by Shikamaru words and began to whisper among themselves. Only Krolik seemed unfazed and sat staring harshly at Shikamaru.

"As I've said," Shikamaru continued. "Naruto is guilty. Guilty of being a moron. Of allowing himself to be used as a pawn in instigate a war. He was tricked, used and now, seemingly discarded. And he was unable to see it coming. And so, his ignorance is his guilt."

Shikamaru then walked around the table to the front then said, "But he's not the only one is he? He's not the only one guilty of being unable to foresee and stop this manipulation. I am too and so are all of you."

"What manipulation," Krolik asked angrily. "All I see was a plan created by Kumo and Konoha to cause chaos within Sunagakure!"

"Oh if that were only true," Shikamaru said. "But this is only half the truth. Someone in Suna had to have told those in Konoha about Koga's arrival. Wasn't it true that the plan to have Koga head to Kumo was hastily put together? I mean there is no way a joint assassination like this would have been put together without the assistance of someone in Suna."

"Are you suggesting someone here had something to do with this," Gaara asked.

"That's absurd," Krolik yelled as he slammed his hand on the desk. "It's obvious this boy has no evidence to save his own ass. So now he's trying to place the blame on others!"

"Not at all," Shikamaru said, "I already admitted Konoha's guilt. I just want to ensure that everyone responsible is bought to justice."

"And it's my belief the only way Naruto or anyone would know exactly when and where Koga would arrive would be through the help of someone in Suna." Shikamaru then looked directly at Krolik and said, "Someone who helped plan the trip in the first place."

"Are you insinuating that I had something to do with this," Krolik yelled angrily as looked at Shikamaru with clear skepticism.

Shikamaru threw his hand up and said, "Me? No of course not! You couldn't possibly have anything to do with this. The person who did this would have to be a highly skilled master planner. No offense but that's not you Krolik. You're more of a highly skilled brown-noser."

Shikimaru's insult elicited light chuckles from everyone in the room, even Gaara, and now embarrassed, Krolik gritted his teeth and clenched his fist as he forced himself to remain as calm as possible. "You little bastard," he said under his breath.

"But don't worry Krolik," Shikamaru continued, "I'll keep this as simple as possible so that you can follow what I say and continue to kiss Gaara's ass." Again the sound of soft laughter emanated from everywhere.

"It's my belief that Akatsuki, through the assistance of spies, both here and unfortunately in Konoha, knew about Koga's meeting and sent one of their ninja to assassinate him and frame our village and Naruto. They knew Koga was going to Kumogakure, sent one of their men to take him down yet leave a trail of breadcrumbs for Naruto to follow. Ensuring he'd be found with the dead body. It was ingenious strategy. Except for one thing. Akatsuki's ninja left behind a piece of evidence that proves he was there. And with it, also proves those who had helped him."

Hearing these words again caused the entire room to break out into hushed conversation as the elders began to speak to each other. Naruto leaned towards Shikamaru and signaled him to come close. Shikamaru took a few steps backwards so he could hear what Naruto had to say. "Shikamaru," Naruto said, "What the hell are you talking about? We don't have any evidence."

Shikamaru glanced at Krolik who had an angry expression on his face and was sweating profusely. With a grin Shikamaru said, "Don't worry Naruto. I think we're about to get all the evidence we need."

Seeing Shikamaru's grin caused Krolik's anger to increase, if he could even get angrier at this point. There was always something about this boy, Krolik thought to himself that always angered him. Krolik was a self made man. Years ago, as a child he wasn't very strong physically. As a result he was considered a below average prospect as a ninja and because of that, other students used to bother him, pick on him and beat him.

Home wasn't any better either, as his father, ashamed of his son's weakness, beat him, talked down to him and even worse, ignored him altogether. As time went on Krolik's only true companion was the books and scrolls he would read when alone. Many were stories and fables that allowed him to escape the world he lived in to those of fantasy. Where he was the hero, someone others looked up to.

But eventually even these tales began to bore him and he began to read scrolls and books about military and political strategy, science, medicine and philosophy. Any and every piece of reading material he could find he read. It didn't matter the subject or difficulty. In time, the scholars and elders of Sunagakure took notice of his hidden brilliance and took him on as an apprentice.

And despite his lack of battle expertise, Krolik for the next few decades grew to become one of the highest ranking elders in the village, revered and relied upon for his intelligence. And was even a candidate to be the next Kazekage after the death of the Fourth. A fact he made sure everyone always remembered at every time.

Krolik was angered beyond belief when it was decided that the son of the Fourth, Gaara, that monster would be the new Kazekage. After all his work, his dedication, to result in nothing was more than he could bear. So when he was visited by a member of Akatsuki, claiming to be Madara Uchiha himself and offering a plan that would result in his ascension to leadership. The decision was impossibly easy.

The plan was an intricate one, but nothing to someone of Krolik's skill. Send an official to Kumo on a supposed mission to promote peace and Akatsuki would ensure his death and that Konoha would be blamed. Knowing Gaara's feelings for Konoha, he would no doubt hesitate in retaliating. Madara, would then send his men disguised as Konoha ninja to slaughter hundreds of Suna's men which would look bad on Gaara, giving him the opportunity to proclaim Gaara unfit to lead. All Krolik need do is convince Gaara to send an emissary and then choose the unlucky candidate.

While Krolik couldn't help but get a feeling of smug satisfaction at knowing while all the comrades that once teased and bullied him spent their lives dying in some of the worst battles in some of the worst god forsaken parts of the world. He spent his time in luxury, deciding the fates of those who once mocked him, including Koga, who as a child was one of Krolik's biggest tormentors. Sending Koga to be the target of assassination was an easy decision.

Everyone revered Krolik, many feared him, and everyone paid someone of his ability the proper respect. Everyone, except Shikimaru Nara, the genius of Konoha. They had met two years ago, when Suna and Konoha were negotiating moving the chunin exams to Suna. Back then, inexplicably, this boy put together a presentation and argument that even he couldn't counter. And Krolik had lost the negotiations.

And throughout the negotiations, Krolik could see behind Shikamaru's fake smile and bored expressions and he could see the kind of disrespect only an intellect like himself could understand. Shikamaru didn't treat Krolik with fear, suspicion, respect or even equality. No, Shikamaru paid Krolik the highest insult one intellectual can pay another…..indifference.

Shikamaru acted then, as he did now, as if Krolik simply didn't matter and wasn't worthy of his attention. It was as if nothing Krolik did or said would change the outcome in Shikamaru's eyes. Krolik suddenly felt as though he was back in his fathers house, he was the child sitting in the corner, watching as his father went about his business and barely even spared Krolik a passing glance. He was nothing, a piece of furniture that breathed and ate. Ignored.

Krolik sat staring at Shikamaru who simply grinned like a cat who had caught a mouse. "Nonsense," Krolik yelled causing everyone to look at him. "This is absolute nonsense! I can't believe any of you can honestly sit here and take his child…..this clown….seriously! Are we supposed to believe that you now suddenly have evidence! Where was this evidence before! Why didn't Konoha present it a month ago!"

Krolik then looked at his fellow elders and Gaara, making sure to make eye contact with each one. "He's lying," Krolik yelled. "He's attempting to create doubt when there should be none! He, Naruto and his whole damned village is guilty!"

"Tch," Shikamaru said with a smile. "You really should calm down Krolik. Don't want to have a heart attack do ya old man? I have all the evidence I need. It doesn't matter what you say."

"It doesn't matter," Krolik said through gritted teeth. "Doesn't matter?" Krolik then leapt to his feet and pointed at Shikamaru and yelled, 'Then let's see your evidence! All you are is empty talk! You are a liar without substance! Even if we were to believe that Akatsuki is involved, Sasuke Uchiha is too cunning to ever leave any evidence proving his guilt! Admit it! You have nothing to save you! What we should be doing is deciding on your death sentence!"

Suddenly the room went silent as every eye was on Shikamaru. "He's right Shikamaru," Gaara said. "If you do have evidence you need to show it now."

Still Shikamaru grinned and said, "Oh I have the evidence Gaara. Despite Krolik's….passionate…..claims. My evidence, which proves Konoha's innocence, is..." Shikamaru then pointed to Krolik and said, "Krolik."

"What," Krolik said as the room burst into a low murmur.

Shikamaru then raised his hand to silence everyone then stepped forward. "May I ask you all a question" he said addressing the elders. "Are you all aware of one my friend Naruto's most interesting traits? Naruto, has an incredible capacity for forgiveness. And for better or worse, when he considers you his friend you are his friend for life. Even if you betray him."

Shikamaru then turned to Naruto and said, "For instance, Naruto did you, during your recount of what happened that day, mention Sasuke by name?"

Naruto looked away momentarily; a look of sadness was on his face. "No," he said. "No I didn't." Instantly Krolik was aware of his mistake.

"See that," Shkamaru said as he faced the elders. "Even when faced with death he stupidly protects his so called friend. And I wonder, did any of you know prior to this that it was in fact Sasuke that Naruto claims was the Akatsuki who killed Koga?"

The elders looked at each other while Gaara merely stared down at the desk with his hands clenched. "No," Shikamaru asked. "Well that's odd isn't it? How then did you know it was Sasuke, Krolik?"

Krolik smiled rather nervously and said, "Well, obviously it was just an educated guess."

"You sure showed a lot of conviction for just a guess," Shikamaru said with a smirk. "And another thing I've been wondering is why would you guys send Koga to Kumogakure with such a small security detail in the first place? I mean forgetting the fact that Suna and Kumo have been hostile with each other for years why would you rush such a thing? Whose idea was all this anyway?"

Slowly Baki turned to look at Krolik and said, "It was Krolik's idea to do this. He hurried the whole thing along while others, including myself, thought it best to be cautious. But he convinced us otherwise."

Feigning surprise Shikamaru said, "Oh, I see. I think I'm beginning to see the picture. You were the one who inexplicably pushed for Koga to go into a hostile land with insufficient protection. You were the one behind pushing Kumo to instigate peace talks with a land that had little interest in peace with you. And here you are, knowledgeable about a fact in Koga's murder that no one could have known of after the fact. Meaning you knew Sasuke was the one who was going to be there before it happened. How on earth would you know something like that? "

Sweating and visibly nervous, Krolik felt all eyes in the room on him yet all he could focus on was the damn grin plastered on Shikamaru's face. "I'm not the one on trial here," he said defiantly.

"Oh," Shikamaru said. "I would take a good look around the room before you say something like that."

Krolik then looked to his fellow elders who all looked at him with accusing eyes, and clear and growing anger. Everyone looked at him this way except for Gaara who angrily stared at the pencil he was squeezing in his hand. Addressing the room Krolik yelled, "You all can't possibly be considering the words of this brat over mine! After all I've done! He's just trying to save his own neck! I'm an elder of this village! I have sacrificed for you all! No one has done more for Sunagakure!"

Still everyone stared at Krolik as he slowly seemed to become unhinged. Krolik then looked to Gaara, who had yet to even look at him. "Lord Kazekage," he said, "surely you don't believe these baseless accusations?"

Still staring at the pencil in his hand Gaara said in a voice that scared those around him and caused a bead of cold sweat to run down Krolik's back. "How did you know it was Sasuke Krolik? Even I didn't know that." Suddenly the pencil in Gaara's hand snapped and splintered and Gaara looked at Krolik with a rage Krolik had never seen. "How did you know it was Sasuke? How could you do this! You put this entire village in peril! For what!"

Nervously, Krolik began to back away and down from the raised platform. He looked around as people began to stand and speak and point at him. Krolik then looked to Shikamaru and yelled, "Are you happy now! Do you think you've won just because you've convinced them of your lies?"

But to Krolik's surprise, Shikamaru wasn't even listening. He had turned around and was already speaking to Naruto and others. He was smiling and wasn't even paying him any attention. It was clear to Krolik, that to Shikamaru, he had already been dismissed.

"Don't ignore me you little bastard," Krolik yelled. "Look at me when I talk to you!" it was then Shikamaru turned to face Krolik and Shikamaru's face was blank, expressionless. He merely stared at Krolik as someone who would stare at a blade of grass.

"You dare look down on me," Krolik said through gritted teeth. "You little punk. You're nothing! Nothing!" suddenly Krolik pulled a hidden kunai from his sleeve and rushed towards Shikamaru who stared at him with the same bored expression.

"I'll cut that look right off of you're face you little bastard," Krolik yelled as he prepared to strike. Shikamaru stared at the blade as it came closer and closer. Finally he watched as the kunai, with Krolik's bloody, severed hand, flew past his face and landed on the ground behind him.

Krolik screamed in pain as blood poured from the bloody stump at the end of his arm where his right hand once was. He fell to his knees and griped at his arm and screamed as Temari stood nearby with her Giant Steel Tipped Folding Fan, streaked with blood.

As everyone stood staring at Krolik writhing in pain on the ground, several guards ran into the room. "Guards," Gaara said, "Take Elder Krolik to the medical wards to have his wound tended to. Then place him under arrest for crimes against Sunagakure and take him to the prisons for immediate interrogation."

The guards silently walked over and got Krolik up on his feet while another guard scooped up his hand and placed it in a bag. "Wait," Krolik said weakly. He looked to Shikamaru and said, "I need to know why. From the very first day I met you, you never once showed me an ounce of respect. No one has ever done something like that to me. And yet you showed nothing but respect to others. And I need to know why?"

Shikamaru took a deep breath and shook his head lightly then said, "It's because since the first day I met you I looked into your eyes and could tell that you were more interested in advancing your own position rather than fulfilling your duty."

"My duty," Krolik asked. "All I've done is for the protection of Sunagakure."

"No," Shikamaru said sadly. "What you have done was for the protection of yourself. What you should have been protecting…..was the king."

"The king," Krolik asked as he was being led away. Shikamaru watched as Krolik was led out of the room and dipped his hand into his pocket and pulled a small lighter out. Looking down at the lighter Shikamaru moved it around in his hand slowly and smiled.

******Meanwhile – Hidden Village in Otogakure******

"Where did that explosion come from," the Akatsuki ninja asked the others as he arrived.

One of the other ninja pointed to one of the buildings on the other side of the street and said, "There."

"All right, let investigate," another ninja said as all four cautiously made their way to the building. Suddenly a large object crashed through the window of the building causing the ninja to jump back prepared to fend off an attack. As the object hit the dirt they were surprised to see that it was the unconscious body of one of their comrades.

Quickly they ran to the door just as it swung open and Sakura leapt out at them. She quickly threw two smoke bombs at them which blurred their vision. She quickly began to disarm each of them before punching each one of them in the face knocking them out instantly.

As the smoke cleared only Sakura remained as she stood among the unconscious bodies of the four ninja. Sakura then heard someone call her name and turned to see Yamato and Anko arrive. Sakura quickly pointed to a darkened alley off to the side and all three of them ran and hid there.

"Is this what you call stealth," Yamato asked.

"Sorry Yamato-taicho," Sakura said. "But it couldn't be avoided."

"Well there's nothing we can do about it now," Anko replied. "We'll have the entire base on our asses soon enough. Did you at least learn anything?"

"Yes," Sakura said, "It looks like Neji and the others are alive. They're being held prisoner in some large facility below us. But that's not all. It seems these guys also have a few dozen other captives; all civilians. And they are being held separately in a cave just west of here."

"Damn," Yamato said. "Alright. Sakura I want you to find those captives and free them. Anko and I will make our way inside and look for Neji and the others. Once you've gotten them to safety come back to help us. Got it?"

Sakura nodded in agreement and prepared to leave when dozens of Akatsuki ninja began to flood out of each building and began to look for them.

"Shit," Anko said. "Now what?"

"We have no choice," Sakura said. "We have to find our friends and those prisoners. We fight our way through!"

Anko couldn't help but smile at the thought of such a challenge and Yamato looked at each woman before saying, "Right. Take down everyone that gets in our way. Sakura, we'll clear a path for you so you can find those prisoners."

Sakura, Anko and Yamato looked at each other and smiled. They knew this was it. Then they heard someone yell, "There they are!"

"Alright ladies," Yamato said as they all got to their feet and ran out to face the enemy. "Let's make this quick!"

End of Chapter Ten

Next Time: The Legend of Rock Lee


	11. The Legend of Rock Lee

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I start by saying I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

Thanks to all those who reviewed my last chapter: theshrewdshrew; iiDarkness; GravenImage; charles cdv; Sasuke K; Silver Senpai; FallingRock; Kushina's Truth of Hell; PJ Hatake; Mudcake; goldone5 and GreedO3114.

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**RESPONCES**

**theshrewdshrew** - yes, I did consider giving Krolik a bigger part to play but tbh I think it would just be too much to add to an already large story. So I decided to keep his story small.

So my titles worry you? Lol! Good! Don't concern yourself with Naruto. He's plenty grown up and has a reason for the things he does now. I think you'll be pleased. I also understand your thoughts about him keeping the Uzumaki name. But to me the fact remains that his fater is Namikaze and so is he. Most poeple outsiide Konoha don't know about the Uzumaki bloodline. But everyone knows the legendary Minato Namikaze. Thus the name carries more weight.

**iiDarkness **- Thanx. Itry to give a complete story from beginning to end and I have to say things are coming along better than even I had hoped.

As for the amount of chapters i plan to write the answer is 13. Just kidding! Actually even though i have planned out the entirty of my story I never confine things to a certain amount of chapters. So TBH, I don't know how many chapters. It will likely be more than 20. But i can't say for sure. i just go with the flow until the story is told.

**GravenImage** - Thanx. I'm glad you're still enjoying it.

**charles cdv **- Thanx.

**Sasuke K **- Thanx dude.

**Silver Senpai **- i think so too. Thanx.

**FallingRock **- Glad you're enjoying the story. Well, i can't say if Konan will take a part in my story. I'm still considering it. i have no issue with adding or removing characters/scenes so long as it makes sense in the story I'm crafting. So stay tuned to see if she makes an appearance.

**Kushina's** - Ok, fine. Praise away! But I warn you, you may end up creating a monster. Lol! I checked your page out BTW. You are pretty busy yourself. You have quite a few stories there. I plan to take a look soon.

**PJ Hatake** - Well, I wanted people to feel like they understood Krolik a bit. I didn't want him to be a completely flat character to be used and disposed of. So I'm glad you liked it.

**Mudcake** - You don't want him to be sent away forever or killed huh? Even though his actions resulted in the death of Koga and the start of a war that cost many lives? Very forgiving of you Mudcake. Lol!

**Goldone5** - LOL! Glad you liked the fact Sakura survived. You didn;t really think I'd kill her did you? Lol! I'm glad my cliffhangers are driving you all crazy. it means I'm doing a good job. Stay tuned for my cliffhangers are going to get bigger and better.

**Greed03114** - You know original plan was to have the courtroom scene encompass 2 chapters. But I decided that it was best to keep it to one as i felt I had waited long enough to get to this point. I just felt it was time to move on. Don't worry, I want honest opinions even if they're not always positive. Bring em all on I say. :)

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**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Ok, so this is you're reminder that there will be no new chapter for two weeks. That's right folks Ramen is going on vacation. I'll be laying on a beach for a while so** the next new chapter will be on Sunday October 3rd.** But there is some good news, as punishment for making you wait, I pushed myself to write another double sized chapter. That's right, chapter twelve will also be extra long. So **please** remember to **review** this chapter and I'll be back with a new chapter in two weeks.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XI: The Legend of Rock Lee

_******Underneath Hidden Village near Otogakure******_

Neji sat in the familiar darkness in silence. Somewhere nearby he could hear Kiba and Lee speaking to each other in a low tone. As he always did, Neji spent his time in deep concentration and meditation as he considered his situation and how best to get out of it. It had been a month since he and his comrades had been captured by Akatsuki forces. And for the past four weeks it had been an unending cycle of pain, starvation and darkness.

At first Neji's assumption was that Muramasa had held back and allowed them to survive so that he could get information from them. Back then Lee was still severely hurt and was falling in and out of consciousness. To be honest he and Kiba weren't in much better shape either. The both had broken bones, internal bleeding and bruises. And Kiba had lost his left eye. Their captors hadn't come to tend their wounds, not that he expected them to, so Neji and Kiba did the best they could to stabilize whatever broken bones and lacerations they suffered and treat Lee.

As for food, it was scarce. Once a day a plate of dry bread and water was delivered for each of them. Neji had no doubt that this food had been spat upon and god knows what else. But they were in no position to turn it down. So they ate.

It wasn't until two days after their capture when an Akatsuki ninja came to their cell and took them away one by one, to a room for interrogation. Lee was the first, but he was quickly returned. No doubt they found that he was still in no shape to give them any information. They quickly threw him to the ground and took Kiba, who tried in vain to fight them off.

While alone with Lee, Neji used his Byakugan to inspect Lee to see if they had done extra damage to him. He was surprised to find instead that they had treated his wounds. Kiba however, was not so lucky. When they returned with him more than an hour later, he was barely conscious and bared fresh bruises and cuts on his face, back and chest.

Before Neji could go to him the ninja's grabbed him and dragged him out of the cell. They quickly blind folded him, as if it mattered, and took him to a room many doors down where they strapped him to wall, chest first so his back was exposed and then removed the blindfold.

In the low light Neji could see a bloodstained table with many blades and razors of different sizes and serrated edges. Most were stained with dry blood and a few had fresh blood on them and Neji knew those had just recently been used. Neji then heard a ninja walk up behind him and using his Byakugan could tell ninja had a whip in his hands.

Neji then heard the ninja's sinister laugh and the crack of the whip and braced himself for what he knew was to come. When the first stinging hit him Neji nearly passed out. He gritted his teeth and held back his scream. He wasn't about to give this bastard the satisfaction. Unfortunately this only pushed his torturer more as the each hit came faster and harder. But Neji refused to scream or whimper.

Twenty minutes had gone by before the ninja stopped his punishment. Neji was hanging by the chains on his wrists, too weak to stand. His back was on fire and he could feel his warm blood trickling down his back.

"Nice work," a man said behind him. Through hazy vision Neji was able to look back and he could see Muramasa standing behind him. He was hooded and bandages covered part of his face. And Neji could see that he appeared to be wincing. Neji wasn't sure but he knew something wasn't right. Muramasa was in visible pain.

Neji fought through his own pain and concentrated his Byakugan further and could see a dark, sinister chakra leaking from random places on Muramasa body. This wasn't like before however. This chakra was coming out involuntarily.

Neji then said, "I guess….this is the point….where….you try to get….information from me? Don't…..bother. I won't tell you a fucking thing."

To Neji's surprise, Muramasa nearly doubled over and looked as if he was about to throw up.

"You don't look so good Muramasa," Neji said.

Sweating, Muramasa stood up and gave that same insane smile that made Neji's skin crawl. "You shouldn't talk," Muramasa said. "I look much better then you will." Muramasa then nodded to the ninja and the ninja took up a liquid from the table and splashed it along Neji's back.

The pain was indescribable. Neji lost all sense of control and screamed pitifully as it felt as if his back was being melted away.

Muramasa closed his eyes, his face for a brief moment held a look of pure ecstasy as he listened of Neji's screams. "Ahhh," he said. 'Like sweet music."

Finally as the pain subsided, Neji said, "I won't….tell you a thing!"

Muramasa turned to leave and asked, "What makes you think you have any information I want?"

Neji eyes grew wide as he heard that response and suddenly he felt the sting of the whip once more. It was nearly another hour before his unconscious body was thrown back into the pitch black cell where Kiba was able to treat his wounds. And so it went from that day on. Once per day one of them was taken and for an hour, tortured. In time Lee had healed some from his fight with Muramasa and it was then they began to torture him as well.

It didn't take long for them to come to a realization. That each time they were taken they were never asked any questions. They were merely, whipped, beaten, cut and burned and then thrown back into their cell. They were tortured just enough so that it didn't kill them or give them enough time to heal. They were given just enough food so as not to starve and enough water not to dehydrate. And every time, Muramasa was there, smiling, and usually never saying a word. And they finally came to a sick realization. They weren't being tortured for interrogation, but for sport. The sick bastard was doing this solely for his own entertainment.

And so it went for the next week, month, and year. In this dark pit they couldn't tell how long it had been since they were taken. And as much as they wanted not to Neji could tell they were losing hope. Perhaps in the end this is what Muramasa wanted. He wanted not to break their bodies but their spirits.

It wasn't until they were sitting in the darkness, doing their best to keep their spirits up, that they heard a different noise to the ones they had grown accustom to hearing. A noise that emanated from above. It was the sound of an explosion. Something was happening.

"Did you guys hear that," Lee asked.

"Neji can you see what that was," Kiba asked.

Neji activated his Byakugan and scanned up above. He could sense the chakra of dozens of people. They were fighting. It was then Neji isolated three familiar chakra signatures. "I don't believe it," Neji said with a smile.

_******Meanwhile – In another room within the underground base******_

Muramasa sat in a large stone chair in the middle of the large room. In front of him sat several ninja pouring over computer panels. One ninja stood watching over them as they continued to work. Muramasa's head was buried into his right hand as he fought through the pain. It had begun just after his fight with the three ninja from Konoha. At the time it was mild by comparison but now it was nearly unbearable.

Muramasa then looked to the ninja standing above the others and yelled, "What's the status!"

Clearly nervous the ninja said, "Everything appears to be ready Lord Muramasa. All we need now is the final command."

"And what about the ants scurrying about up above," Muramasa asked.

"Our last report was that they're ninja from Konoha ANBU," the ninja responded. "Three have been confirmed but there may be more."

Just then another ninja ran into the room and bent to one knee. "Lord Muramasa," he said. "I have more intel regarding the intruders. Currently right now two squads have engaged the enemy. Unfortunately they are proving difficult to defeat. It appears to be only two females and a male. The male, remarkably appears to be a user of Wood style Jutsu while one female summons snakes and the other has incredible strength."

Muramasa laughed deviously. "God these Konoha ninja are fun," he yelled. "Are they all this strong? We wonder if these will be more entertaining than the last ANBU we've faced! We snapped their limbs off without much effort!"

Muramasa suddenly became wild-eyed and began looking around as if speaking to someone yet no one at the same time, "Wait….what did you say? Yes…yeeeeesss that would be delicious! You're right! We should be the one controlling things not that weak bastard! We're the one with the power. Yyyeeeeessss!"

Everyone looked at each other nervously as Muramasa continued to talk to himself. They had heard the stories about him. Muramasa, the mad member of Akatsuki that had wantonly slaughtered nearly all of his comrades while attempting to defeat three Konoha ninja that were now being held prisoner down below.

They had heard that he was quick to insane bouts of rage but over the last few weeks he had seemed to losing his grip on his very sanity. And his skin had begun to peel away, forcing Muramasa to cover himself with a cloak and hood. Now it was not uncommon for his men to watch as he had entire conversations with himself and they would remain in fear that he would suddenly lash out and slaughter one, or more, of them.

Suddenly Muramasa looked towards the lead ninja and said, "You said this place was ready and operational correct?"

"Yes," the ninja said nervously.

"Then do it," Muramasa said with a smile. "Let's show those bastards up there that they stand no chance against Akatsuki. I want Konoha reduced to rubble by noon!"

Everyone looked to Muramasa in silent shock and fear. The lead ninja looked around as every one silently looked at Muramasa then back to him. The ninja took a deep breath and swallowed hard then said, "With all due respect Lord Muramasa. We were told that we were to wait for Lord Zetsu's command. Perhaps you should contact him before….."

Before the ninja could finish his sentence Muramasa punched him through the chest. The ninja was skewered on Muramasa's arm as Muramasa gripped his still beating heart in his hand. "We hate having subordinates with weak hearts," Muramasa said. "It's so disappointing." Muramasa then dropped the heart and slipped his blood drenched arm out from the ninja's body causing it to slump to the floor.

"Let us explain something to you all," Muramasa said as he addressed the terrified ninjas who sat staring in shock. "The only word that matters is ours! The only law that matters is ours! And the only one to fear is us!" Muramasa then pointed at another ninja with his bloody hand and said, "You! You know how to work this thing correct!"

"Y…yes," said the ninja.

"Good," Muramasa said as he peeled some of the flesh from his face. "Then you are now the new Operations Commander. Congratulations. Now….let us begin, Commander."

_******Meanwhile – In the cell******_

Neji got to his feet as he spoke to his friends. "These guys are fighting with someone up above," Neji said with a smile. "There's got to be twenty Akatsuki up there fighting about three opponents."

"Are they from Konoha," Kiba asked.

"I think so," Neji said. "In fact their chakra seems very familiar. I'd say one of them is Sakura and the other Yamato. I can't recognize the third."

"All right," Lee said. "It looks like the rescue party has arrived."

Suddenly they were rocked to their feet as the entire room began to shake and a loud, metallic groan came from different areas.

"What the hell was that," Kiba asked as he got back to his feet. Before anyone could answer they began to feel a deep rumbling under their feet that only grew in intensity until it felt like they were standing above an explosion. Again the room began to shake causing them to loose their balance. But instead of a temporary rumble it remained constant.

Lee grasped his still broken arm in pain and hobbled to his feet. "What's going on," he asked.

"Damn it," Neji yelled in frustration. "I can't believe they've got this place up and running! We have to get out of here! We have to stop them or at least get to Konoha to warn them!"

"I don't get it," Lee yelled over the booming sound. "Are they destroying their base?"

"Damn it Lee didn't I explain this to you already," Neji yelled. "Remember those markings we found when we first got here! They were the sign of the Sky Country! Years ago, during the Second Great War, Konoha was directly attacked by the Sky Country. Several of their ships, including a Great War Ship was able to reach Konoha's border before being brought down by the Third Hokage and others!"

"So," Lee asked. "What does any of that have to do with these guys and what their doing in this base?"

"No Lee," Neji said. "This isn't a base at all!"

_******Meanwhile – Up above******_

Sakura ducked as a ninja aimed his kunai at her head. She quickly grabbed him by the wrist with her right hand and punched him in the elbow with her left, dislocating it. She then quickly kicked him away as another ninja closed in. Nearby, Anko and Yamato were locked in heated combat of their own when they felt the ground below shudder and crack.

The ground began to rise as a deep and loud rumble grew from below. Sakura leapt back as the ground opened large fissures around the entire village. The buildings began to shatter and fall as the ninja that were still conscious began to scatter and run as if they knew what was happening.

Confused Sakura, Yamato and Anko looked at each other and around as they tried to understand what was happening. Again the ground began to crack and rise as they finally realized that something below them was rising up.

Sakura looked down and saw inside a nearby hole that there was stone flooring as it slowly rose from the earth. A large pillar pierced through the ground underneath Anko forcing her to leap clear. While Sakura standing on the uneven ground could see the stone facade of a mans face etched into the stone.

All around her was chaos as the ninjas leapt of the edge of the structure while others caught in the dirt and rocks that were sliding off were thrown clear.

Suddenly the ground underneath Sakura truly began to rumble, then shatter under the force of the artificial earthquake emanating from below. The ground began to slide to the side and off the top of the rising behemoth as it continued to violently tear away from it's earthbound prison and ascend into the sky. Sakura suddenly fell and found herself sliding towards the edge. Before she could fall off Sakura grabbed hold onto a recess in the rock structure.

"Sakura," Anko yelled and Sakura could see Anko had summoned a large snake and was standing on its head signaling her to jump. Sakura climbed up so she could get her feet onto the wall and then pushed off, leaping through the falling debris before landing on the snake.

"What the hell is that thing," Sakura asked as she and Anko stared in awe as the structure continued to ascend.

Finally the structure's base broke free of the ground like a bird leaving its nest and it left a gapping hole, the size of the entire village, nearly a mile across and nearly a half mile deep. Sakura and Anko couldn't believe their eyes as the structure, despite not being connected to anything, continued to rise.

"Impossible," Sakura whispered.

"Nothing seems impossible to Madara Uchiha," Yamato said as he landed on the head of Anko's snake.

"You know what this is," Anko asked.

"Yes," Yamato replied, "Although this was just before our time; that must be an old airship from the Land of Sky! Madara must have found it and had his people working on repairing it. Damn it! This was the great weapon they were talking about! And it's heading straight for Konoha!

"We have to stop it," Anko yelled as the ship began to move forward.

"Impossible," Sakura yelled. "Look how fast it's moving! It's too fast and too high up for us to catch it now! We should send a messenger bird to Konoha to warn them!"

"That thing is moving too fast," Yamato yelled. "A messenger would never get there in time!"

"Then what do we do," Anko yelled.

Suddenly the ground underneath them began to crack and fall into the large pit causing the hole to get larger and larger. The snake they were on turned and fled back as the hole expanded. Sakura quickly looked of to the west and remembered the underground cave nearby. "We need to go rescue the prisoners they have locked away in the cave underground," she said

"But what about Konoha," Anko said. "That damned ship could destroy our home we need to follow it and do whatever we can to stop it."

"That hole is expanding Anko," Sakura said. "If we leave those people here they could be caught when the cave collapses. I'm not going to leave them to die."

Anko was about to protest when Yamato intervened. "Sakura's right," he said. "Besides we won't be able to keep up with that thing so following won't do any good. We should focus on what we can do and pray that our comrades back at home can bring that thing down."

"Fine," Anko said reluctantly as she guided the snake towards the mountain side.

_******Akatsuki Airship – several minutes ago******_

Neji, Kiba and Lee were thrown about the room as it shook violently. It felt as if they were rising into the sky and with nothing to hold onto they were at the mercy of the turbulent ascent. Suddenly they could hear the sick groaning coming from nearby and suddenly light streamed in from a nearby wall.

"Look," Kiba screamed as he made his way to find the source of the light.

"Hey," Kiba said excitedly, "This wall is breaking due to the vibrations. One good hit should do it."

Unfortunately they knew they were all too severely injured to do so. For a while they remained quiet as they each considered how to break free.

"It's alright," Lee said. "I'll do it. I was conserving my chakra as best I could for this and this may be our only shot." Lee then closed his eyes and concentrated. After a few seconds he opened his eyes and they were intense. "First and second gate," he said. "Open!" Lee began to glow as chakra flowed from his body. Lee felt rejuvenated and then crouched as he prepared to strike the wall. He quickly punched it causing it to shatter and crumble. Light streamed in from the large hole that was created and it took a moment for their eyes to adjust.

Eventually they realized they were in an adjoining hallway and Neji quickly activated his Byakugan and scanned the area. "Ok," he said. "For the last few weeks I've been scanning this place and marking out where everything is. From what I can tell the main weapons room is two floors directly below us. And the engine room is one floor above. Damn!"

"What is it," Kiba asked.

"The engine room is surrounded by twelve guards," Neji responded.

"That won't be a problem for me," Lee said.

"True," Neji replied. "But the room adjoining the engines is a large room with another ten ninja there and judging by the thick, evil chakra, the guy in the middle of the room is Muramasa. Even with your gates released we wouldn't stand a chance against those odds."

"Then what do we do," Kiba asked.

Neji considered his options for minute. He and Kiba were in no shape for any sort of fighting. And Lee's enhanced abilities were temporary. Lee will eventually have to close the Gates and then his injuries would return perhaps worse than before. Whatever they were going to do it had to be quick.

"Ok," Neji said. "We destroy their weapons room. It'll disable their ability to use the ships' weapons. Then we find an escape ship and get down and warn Konoha."

"Right," Kiba said. "What about Akamaru?"

"I've already spotted him Kiba," Neji said. "We can pick him up on the way. Let's go."

Neji, Lee and Kiba ran through the hallway until the reached stairs heading down. Just as they reached the second level below Neji quickly signaled for them to stop. "We've got three enemies coming toward us from around the corner to the left," he said.

"Not a problem," Lee said as he sprinted around the corner and directly at the shocked ninja. Before any of them could react Lee kicked one in the jaw and punched another in the gut. Both crumpled to the floor unconscious. The third ninja punched Lee in the chest just as Lee elbowed him in the chin knocking him out.

Kiba and Neji came out and Kiba said, "Nice work Lee."

Neji then said, "This way." And they continued down the hall.

As they ran Lee grimaced in pain. The punch the ninja was able to land hurt him, his breathing was becoming more labored and his other wounds were beginning to hurt as well. _Damn_, Lee thought to himself. _My chakra is dropping. I'm going to have to open another gate._ Lee suddenly closed his eyes in concentration and thought to himself, _Gate of Life, Gate of Pain...Open!_

Kiba and Neji immediately stopped and watched as Lee exploded with power and his skin turned red. "Lee," Kiba said. "Why the hell are you increasing your power?"

"Just in case we come across an enemy I want to be able to finish them quicker," Lee said. "We don't have much time we have to keep moving." Lee then continued to run on as Kiba and Neji followed.

_Lee_, Neji thought to himself. _You really are pushing yourself. You may act like you just need the extra power but I know better._

After a few minutes they came to a large door and Neji stopped. "Here," he said, "Akamaru is in this room."

Lee quickly punched and smashed the lock and Kiba opened the heavy iron door and peered into the darkened room. "Akamaru," Kiba asked and heard Akamaru bark weakly. Akamaru then slowly limped into the light; one of his front legs was broken. "Akamaru," Kiba yelled with joy as he hugged his dog. "C'mon boy," he said as the group continued on.

As they continued to run Neji looked down and said, "Damn!"

"What is it," Kiba asked.

"Down below in the bottom level," Neji said nervously. "I can't believe I didn't see them before."

"See what," Lee asked.

"There are about two, maybe even three hundred ninja armed for battle in a large room," Neji said. "From what I can tell they are just sitting around waiting."

"For what," Lee asked.

"Isn't it obvious," Kiba said. "The plan must be to use the weapons on this ship to weaken Konoha. And then send those guys in to finish off any survivors. This isn't good. We need to destroy those weapons now!"

As they came to an intersecting hallway, Neji signaled for them to stop. "Ok," he said. "The door to the weapon control room is right around this corner. But we have five guards. And one of them is standing right by a lever I can only assume is an alarm. We need to take them all out before they get to it or we're done for."

"Leave it to me," Lee said as he sprinted around the corner and at the stunned ninjas who tried to reach for their weapons but was overrun by Lee. Lee first targeted the ninja closest to the alarm and slammed his head into the wall knocking him out cold. In one fluid motion he leapt into the air and delivered a spinning kick into another ninja's jaw, landed on the ground and back kicked another ninja in the face.

The fourth and fifth ninja looked at each other and came to a silent decision. One ninja sprinted at Lee while the other ran to pull the alarm. As the ninja closed in on Lee he attempted to punch him in the face. Lee easily ducked it and punched him hard in the sternum knocking him out cold.

The fifth and final ninja came inches away from the alarm when Lee grabbed him by the wrist and elbowed him in the side of the head. The force of the blow launched him airborne and down the hallway where his unconscious body came to a stop several feet away. "All clear," Lee said as his allies came around the corner.

Lee then punched the solid iron door sending it of its hinges and flying into the room. As the group walked the looked around at the large machines. "Right," Neji said. "This is the weapons control room. This is where they power the miniature laser."

"Ok," Kiba asked. "So how do we blow this place up?"

"With these," Lee said. Kiba and Neji looked to Lee to see that he had gathered the explosive kunai from the unconscious guards. Seeing this caused them to smile.

A few minutes later Lee, Neji, Kiba and Akamaru were running down the corridor as fast as they could. Neji then yelled, "We have to keep moving! We should hit the escape exit soon! There are small ships that we can use to glide down." Suddenly they heard several large explosions in the distance and they knew the explosive tags they had set on a timer had finally exploded. Neji couldn't help but smile. _Take that you bastards_, he thought to himself.

Neji then looked to Lee and could see that he was laboring under the strain of opening the gates. _We have to hurry_, Neji thought to himself. _Lee's chakra is flaring wildly and it's putting too much of a strain on his already damaged body. I never should have allowed him to open the gates in the first place in his condition._

_******Meanwhile – In the airship control room******_

"What the hell was that," Muramasa yelled as the multiple explosions when off.

A ninja sitting in front of a terminal then responded, "Sir! All of our weapon systems just went off line! The laser won't work."

"Get a status report from the guards," Muramasa yelled angrily.

"They're not responding," the ninja said. "I've sent others to check on them."

"Damn it," Muramasa yelled as he slammed his fist into the arm wrest of his chair, shattering it. "This is unacceptable! This is supposed to be our moment of triumph!"

"Sir," one ninja said, "I've just received word the guards put in place to guard the area were attacked and defeated. We've also received word that the ninjas from Konoha have escaped their cell."

At first Muramasa chuckled lightly then burst into raucous laughter as his men looked on in confusion. Then, finally his operations manger said, "My Lord. Without our weapons functioning properly we should strongly consider turning back. We have no way to attack Konoha or defend ourselves."

"Turn back," Muramasa asked. "Are you mad! No, no, no, no! We can't turn back now! Not when we're so close! So close, so close, too close now!"

Nervously the operations manager stepped forward and said, "Sir? What are your orders?"

"Orders," Muramasa asked. "Orders huh? Alright, increase speed to maximum thrust!"

"What," the ninja said as everyone burst out in nervous protest. "Lord Muramasa, why would we do that?"

"So we can ram this ship directly into the heart of Konoha of course," Muramasa said with a smile. "Think of the carnage! Think of the blow we'd land against them! Konoha would be crippled! You say we don't have any weapons left? You're wrong! This ship is all the weapon we need!"

"B-but sir," the ninja said, "What about all the people aboard this ship?"

"A necessary sacrifice for the good of Akatsuki's goals don't you think," Muramasa responded. "Now do as I have ordered!"

The operations manager paused as he stared slack jawed at Muramasa. "S…sir," he said. "I….I….can't…..I can't…."

"So," Muramasa said. "You lack the resolve to give your life for Akatsuki? You all do is that right? Well…..I must admit…..we find this….disappointing."

_******Meanwhile******_

The emergency exit door slammed open and fell away as Lee stood in front of it. He was breathing even harder now and was drenched in sweat. Lee stood aside as Neji, Kiba and Akamaru stepped out into the open air. They found themselves on a makeshift landing pad where a flying lifeboat sat idle.

Lee then screamed and the chakra glow around him faded and he collapsed to his knees, clutching his ribs. "Damn it," he said.

"Kiba," Neji said, "Help Lee to his feet and carry him to the boat. I'll get this thing going." As Kiba reached under Lee's shoulders and helped him to his feet Neji scanned Lee's body. _Damn_, he thought to himself. _Just as I thought. Opening the gates put way too much stress on his already injured body and has actually made his injuries worse. We need to get him medical attention._

Neji and Akamaru jumped into the life boat and Neji held out his hands to help Lee in when suddenly the ship shook wildly and increased it's speed to an incredible pace forcing Kiba to lose balance and both he and Lee to crash to the ground.

Lee landed hard on his brittle left arm and broken ribs and yelled in pain. "Damn it what the hell is going on," Kiba yelled.

Neji looked about and then said, "No way! He couldn't be doing what I think he's doing! That psychopath!"

"What," Kiba said as he again helped Lee to his feet.

"He's speeding up the ship," Neji said.

"Why the hell would he do that," Kiba asked.

_******Meanwhile******_

Muramasa, covered in fresh blood, stood in front of the ships blood stained controls. The lever that controlled the ships speed was pushed forward to maximum then snapped off to ensure it could not be reversed. Muramasa laughed wildly as he stared out of the large bay windows. "This is going to be glorious," he yelled excitedly. He then looked about the blood stained room at the scattered remains of all the ninja under his command.

"Such a shame you lacked resolve," he said with a smile. "You all could have stood with us as we witness such a glorious moment." Muramasa then sighed deeply and giggled as he walked back to his large chair.

In the seat was the bloody, severed head of his operations manger. Muramasa picked it up and tossed it up in the air a few times as though it were a ball and then looked at it in the eyes. "Hmmm," he said. "Perhaps you can stay with me and see my triumph." Muramasa then placed the head down, facing the windows and sat next to it. As he pealed a large piece of flesh from his skin, revealing blue fur beneath he said, "We always hate waiting for the boom. So boring."

_******Meanwhile – just outside the ship******_

"We have to go back," Neji said as he stepped out of the boat.

"What," Kiba asked. "Why!"

"That bastard Muramasa," Neji said. "He's increased the speed of the ship. Without weapons he must realize his plan won't work. So he's probably decided to just ram the ship into Konoha instead."

"What," Kiba yelled. "Shit! I knew the guy was a bit crazy, but this is just nuts! He'll kill himself along with everyone on the ship!"

"We have no choice," Neji said. "At this point we've got fifteen, maybe twenty minutes before this ship gets to Konoha! We have to face Muramasa again and beat him!"

"How," Kiba asked. "We're all in pretty bad shape as it is thanks to their torture! There's no way we can stop him now."

"I don't know," Neji said. "But even if it costs us our lives we have to stop him."

"Neji," Lee said. "Can you hold this for me? I don't want to lose it."

Lee handed Neji a small scroll, wrapped neatly with a red ribbon. On it was written the word "Tenten".

"What is this," Neji asked.

"Something for Tenten," Lee said.

Suddenly Lee slid out from Kiba's grasp and pushed him into the life boat and before Neji could react Lee kicked him in the chest, launching him back into the boat as well. Lee then quickly kicked the lock keeping the boat in place causing it to roll down the ramp towards the exit.

"Lee," Neji yelled as he got to his feet.

"Lee what the hell are you doing," Kiba asked.

As the life boat slid off the ramp and into the air Lee just stood smiling as his friends soared into the sky.

"Lee," Neji screamed. "Lee! We have to go back! We have to go back to help him!" Neji frantically looked around at the controls. "Damn it," he said. "I have no idea how to even control this thing. You?"

Kiba shook his head with a look of utter despair on his face. Neji then looked at the scroll Lee had placed in his hand and then said, "Lee…why are you doing this?"

Lee stood and watched as the air boat vanished in the clouds before taking a deep labored breath. _Damn_, he thought to himself. _My body is so torn up I don't even think opening five gates at this point will get the job done._

Suddenly Lee heard footsteps coming from the corridor they had past through earlier. _I guess they've finally found us_, he thought. _Oh well, time to get to work._ Lee suddenly exploded with power as he opened six gates. Just then twelve ninjas ran though the door just in time to see Lee running right towards them.

_******Meanwhile******_

"God this is boring," Muramasa said as he stared out the window. Looking at the severed head next to him he asked, "Don't you think so? Yes! Yes! Yes! So boring! Oh how we wish this thing could fly faster! We can't wait to get there! It'll be so much fun! Do you think that one, that blonde one that humiliated us will be there! We hope so!"

"Ack," Muramasa screamed as he spat blood. "How disgusting," he said as he pealed even more skin from his face. At this point more than half his face was peeled away leaving bloody, blue fur underneath. Muramasa then tore off his cloak and threw it to the ground, revealing his bald, boil infested head. The large boils on his head were filled with puss and blood and there were random signs of his skin peeling away.

"Damn it," Muramasa yelled as he knocked the head away. "How long must we wait!" Suddenly Muramasa stopped and sniffed the air. Suddenly his mouth began to bleed and his jaw began to snap as it stretched and twisted out and became elongated. His teeth began to grow into fangs giving him a more feral look.

"Aaahhhh," he said in a low animalistic growl. "It seems we have a guest who has come to witness our triumph." Turning towards the exit Muramasa saw Lee standing in the door. He was breathing heavily and seemed on the verge of collapse.

"My master…once told me," Lee said. "That in the end…..evil will always find its truest form. It seems….you are finding yours monster."

"You," Muramasa said as he tore the last bit of flesh from his head revealing himself to now resemble more a large blue cat. "When I heard you and your friends escaped I had a near orgasmic lust to feel your bones snap in my jaws. I'm glad you at least were brave enough to come. But it seems you are in no condition to give me the challenge I seek."

"Don't underestimate me too soon beast," Lee said.

_******Konoha – One Year Ago******_

_Standing in an open meadow Lee stood at attention as Guy addressed him. "Alright Lee," Guy said, "You trained hard all these years and I'm proud of all the hard work you've done."_

"_Yes Guy Sensei," Lee yelled._

"_And today," Guy said. "I give you my final lesson. After this I will have nothing left to teach you. You will no longer be my pupil, but merely my comrade. Do you understand?"_

"_Yes Guy Sensei," Lee yelled._

"_Alright," Guy said grimly. "But there is a reason I waited to teach this to you for last. For it is a technique that you can only use under the strictest of laws!"_

_For a moment the two men stared at each other with only the sound of the crisp spring breeze flowing by. "Lee," Guy said. "It is my wish that you never have to use this technique. But if you must, then you may only use this technique for the ultimate reason. And that is because this technique requires you make the ultimate sacrifice."_

"_Yes Guy Sensei," Lee said._

_Guy took a deep breath and said, "And the only reason you should use this technique is…"_

_******Akatsuki Airship – Now******_

Lee stared at the creature before him and knew what must be done. Closing his eyes he recalled the words of his teacher who on that day said, _"….the only reason you should use this technique is…."_

It was then Lee recalled the words, _" …to protect my home and the people I love."_

Muramasa stood in growing shock as the man before him began to glow bright green and the wind began to spin around him. Machinery, nailed to floor, began to rip away and was thrown across the room as the wind picked up. Muramasa, grabbed hold of the floor to prevent himself from being blown away as well.

Looking up Muramasa stared at the face of this man, who only a moment ago, seemed at the verge of death yet now displayed a power he'd never seen. Suddenly, Lee's eyes opened and Muramasa felt a sense of fear inside him as he saw that this man had no pupils in his eyes. Only power. A power and an intensity that one only found in the fiercest of animals.

"The Eighth Gate," Lee yelled. "The Gate of Death….OPEN!"

End of Chapter Eleven

Next Time: Konoha's Green Dragon


	12. Konoha's Green Dragon

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I like to begin by stating that I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

A special thanks to those who reviewed my last chapter: GravenImage; RunningLion; theshrewedshrew; PJ Hatake; FoxSage19; soccernin19; iiDarkness; losermuch; airnaruto45; goldone5; charles cdv; Sasuke K; InARealPickle; Kushina's Truth of Hell; Diamond Man; Bluesummers2012; Richasa and GreedO3114.

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**RESPONCES**

**Gravenimage** - Me? Kill Rock Lee? Now would I ever do such a thing?

**RunningLion** - Thanx.

**theshrewedshrew** - Well, as you can see I wanted this to be about Lee so Sakura's team set things in motion but Lee is the guy who will get things done. Hopefully. For the record I enjoy all of the characters. i just have a plan for each. Hopefully things will come together. Well, i hope the end works out for you whether I leave questions to be answered or not.

**PJ Hatake** - Have i outdone myself? Hmmm. I hope so. i want this to grow and grow to a massive conclusion so I guess you can say outdoing myself is the ultimate goal. But I promise you, you haven't seen anything yet.

**FoxSage19** - Thanx.

**soccernin19** - The air boat is on auto-pilot. As for Lee, he's going to be fine.

**iiDarkness** - Hope you're vacation was good. Mine sure was. Yeah i enjoyed being able to write such a long story but TBH I couldn't maintain a weekly schedule if I tried to write such long chapters.

**losermuch** - Glad you liked it.

**airnaruto45** - Lol! So I've finally made you cry huh? hehe. Well at least you're not yelling at me for once. Lol!

**goldone5** - I'm happy to read long reviews. The more detailed the better. Yes, Lee will make his (final?) stand to protect konoha. Here's hoping he pulls it off. That was an interesting prediction btw. Very interesting indeed. Lol. But I don't think it'll happen in just that way. Did that fastforward button work btw?

**charles cdv** - Thanx.

**Sasuke K **- The first huh? Hmmm, and here I thought that would be a bit more common. Glad you're enjoying it.

**InARealPickle** - Hey, I never said he was going to die? You never know, I could do something completely different.

**Kushina's **- My Vacation was nice. I went to Vancouver. Relly good time. Anyway thanx for the review.

**Diamond Man** - It's ok for not reviewing before. I just hope you review more often going forward. If you would like some tips I'll be happy to help. Send me a PM with whatever questions you may have and I'll answer you. I also spend a lot of time OneManga forums and Narutofan Forums. My name both is also RamenRenegade. You can find a link to my OM home page at my home page. Hit me up anytime.

**Bluesummers2012** - LOL! Well i am so happy that your enjoying things so far. Now I'm not sure i agree with your "making him a sacrifice" assesment. Lee is fullfilling the destiny set before him. All of his training has led to this moment. All warriors must face thier ultimate challenge. Lee is facing his. This isn't about sacrifice. This is about growth. Glad you're enjoying my symphony. Wait till I get to the next act. Lol!

**Richasa** - thanx. i hope I can keep things interesting.

**Greedo3114** - Awww. Someone get him a tissue please!

* * *

**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Ok, so after a three week hiatus I'm finally back. It'll be a weekly release again from here on out. **Please** remember to send a little** review** my way afterwards. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thanx.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XII: Konoha's Green Dragon

_******SunaGakure – Gaara's Private Residence******_

Naruto, Shikamaru and Temari sat on plush pillows around a low dinner table made of dark cherry oak. The walls were painted a dark cream color and there were many plants around, giving the whole home a very sweet smell. There was light music coming from a nearby music box and on the far wall was a large painting or Gaara, Temari, Kankuro and Matsuri.

"You boys sure know how to make a girl worry," Temari said with a smile.

"I don't know why you were so worried in the first place," Shikamaru said as he leaned back. "You should know by now not to underestimate me."

"Yeah yeah," Temari said. "You can act all tough now. But I could tell you were nervous." Temari then leaned in and smiled slyly and said, "Admit it Shikamaru. You know you were scared. I saw fear in your eyes when you were walking to Gaara's office."

With a smile Shikamaru said, "What you mistook for fear Temari was hunger. Have you any idea how poor a diet can be in prison?" Shikamaru sighed deeply and said, "Man, I never wanna see a piece of bread for the next month."

"Well it's not all bad," Temari said, "At least this whole adventure brought you here so you could see me right?"

Shikamaru closed his eyes and said, "Yeah. I guess so."

"You guess so," Temari yelled angrily. "Well I don't know what I would even worry about you're dumb ass if your not even going to act like your happy to be around me!"

Shikamaru laughed a bit and then looked at Temari and said, "Calm down Temari. You know how I feel about you so just calm down. No need to get all excited."

Temari blushed a bit and was silent and seemed a bit embarrassed. At the same time Shikamaru looked to Naruto who was staring out at the wall. He seemed like a million miles away. "Hey Naruto," Shikamaru said. "What's with you? You look awful glum for a guy you just avoided a date with the hangman."

Naruto looked at Shikamaru as if he were speaking to a ghost and said, "I guess I'm a bit tired." Naruto then looked away and seemed once again lost in his thoughts.

Before Shikamaru could respond they heard a door open nearby and then turned to see Gaara enter the dining area. "Hello," Gaara said as he removed his robes and sat down at the diner table next to Naruto and across from Temari and Shikamaru.

"So how did things go with Krolik's interrogation," Temari asked.

"Surprisingly well and incredibly bad," Gaara said.

"Could you be a bit more specific," Naruto asked.

"Yeah," Shikamaru said. "That doesn't sound very encouraging."

"That all depends on how you look at it," Gaara responded.

Just then Matsuri came from the kitchen with several large plates of food including rice, tempura, fried pork and soup. "Alright," she said as she placed everything down. "Lunch is served."

"Thank you Matsuri," Gaara said with a little smile.

"Yes Matsuri, you really outdid yourself this time," Temari said.

"Everything looks delicious," Naruto said.

"This looks a hell of a lot better than bread and water," Shikamaru said.

"Perhaps it's best we eat first," Gaara suggested. "We can talk about business after."

After their meal everyone sat about more than satisfied. "Wow Matsuri," Shikamaru said. "Maybe it's the starvation talking but you really know how to cook. You're a lucky man Gaara."

Gaara placed his hand over Matsuri's and said, "Yes. She has been more than I could ever ask for."

"Gaara," Naruto said. "Sorry to interrupt but we should get to business. What did you learn from Krolik."

"Everything," Gaara said. "Yet not very much. Krolik was more than willing to talk and he confirmed that he has been working for Akatsuki for nearly five years. For the most part his job was to relay information to Madara regarding our movements and activities. About three months ago he received orders to convince us to open negotiations with Kumo."

"Unfortunately," Gaara continued, "The purpose of which was to set one of our elders up to be murdered and for you specifically Naruto, to be blamed. The next phase was to have a large portion of our forces set up to be killed and for him to make it appear that my indecisiveness in this war to be the reason for their deaths. Thus weakening the support of my people allowing him the opportunity to take control and have Suna attack Konoha with full force."

"Damn," Shikamaru said. "That Madara is a genius. He's a sick bastard. But also a genius. If his plan had worked he would have had Kumo, Suna and Iwa lined up against Konoha. Not to mention his own Akatsuki and Kiri forces. It literally would be Konoha against the entire ninja world."

"And Konoha wouldn't stand a chance," Matsuri said.

"Was he able to tell you who the traitor is in Konoha," Naruto asked. "From what I know the traitor was one of Danzo's men, Torune."

"That most likely not completely correct," Shikamaru said. "Based on Krolik's confession the plan from the very beginning was to frame you for Koga's murder. This means you had to be brought back to Konoha first. There's no way Torune could have convinced Danzo of doing that."

"Are you saying you think Danzo himself is the traitor," Temari asked.

"It looks that way," Shikamaru said. "Madara needed to be one hundred percent sure you would be back as a Konoha ninja. Torune lacked the ability to influence such a decision. It had to be Danzo."

Naruto clenched his fists and gritted his teeth and said, "Damn it! I knew that bastard couldn't be trusted. But to go this far!"

"Settle down Naruto," Gaara said. "If Danzo is guilty we'll deal with him soon enough. Right now however we need to concentrate on ending this war completely. I've already dispatched Kankuro to the north and Baki to the south to relay my ceasefire to all our forces. By this time tomorrow all Suna forces will begin returning home."

"Not so fast Gaara," Naruto said. "You're going to need to take some of those forces and keep them ready for a new mission to Kumogakure."

"Kumo," Gaara asked. "Why?"

With a grin Naruto said, "I have a plan."

_******KiriGakure – Office of the Mizukage******_

"What did you just say Zetsu," Madara asked as he sat behind his large desk

"It seems Muramasa has lost control of himself Lord Madara," Zetsu said. "The village was under attack by a small group of Konoha ANBU and instead of dispatching them he activated the airship. He is currently flying towards Konoha as we speak."

For a long moment Madara sat silent, staring at Zetsu. Zetsu remained standing at attention not sure what Madara's response was going to be. It was no surprise that Muramasa was losing control of his sanity. That was a side affect of most hosts who weren't strong enough to control that foul chakra of a Biju. But they had hoped he was strong enough to last until his usefulness was at an end. And they certainly didn't plan on him acting on his own like this.

Suddenly Madara lashed out and with one sweeping motion, knocked all the paperwork, pencils and various other items off his desk. "Damn that foolish Muramasa," he yelled as he got to his feet. Madara quickly turned to stare outside with his hands clasped behind him. "He was supposed to wait until we gave him the word to attack! My armies have yet to get into place! And Sasuke has yet to seal away the Eight Tails!"

Zetsu remained silent as Madara stood staring outside. Much to Zetsu's amazement, Madara began to laugh, lightly at first, until it grew into raucous laughter. "Very well," Madara said. "If this is the hand fate has dealt me I will show my strength and move forward. This setback will not ruin anything. That ship was supposed to be opening blow against Konoha. But by no means was it to be my greatest. I will just have to adjust my plans."

Madara turned to face Zetsu and said, "Hopefully, Muramasa will be able to deal a harsh blow to Konoha at least." Madara returned to his seat and then said, "Tell me Zetsu, how soon until Kisame returns with our precious cargo?"

"No later than tomorrow morning my lord," Zetsu said.

"Excellent," Madara said.

"My Lord," Zetsu said. "What about Sasuke? Are you sure he will continue to help us?

"Sasuke has no choice," Madara said. "His own desires won't allow him to do anything but walk the path before him."

"And Muramasa," Zetsu asked.

"Don't concern yourself with him," Madara said. "Just let me know when his little insurrection is over. I'll deal with him myself."

_******Akatsuki Airship – Ten miles from Konoha******_

_What is this_, Lee thought to himself_. I've never felt like this before. I've never felt this strong, this much power, this much…freedom. (Thump! Thump!) Was that my heart?_

Lee stood at the entrance to the bridge of the airship. Several feet away was Muramasa, or what was once Muramasa, gripping to the floor in an effort to prevent from being blown away by the pure power that Lee was now releasing.

A few moments ago, Lee had done what he was always told to avoid, he opened the Eighth Gate of the chakra system. In that instant Lee felt as though he had been thrust into a new level of existence. Lee raised his hand up and looked at it and stared at it as it glowed bright green.

_Is this me_, he thought to himself. _My whole body is glowing. Is this my power?_ Lee looked at the nearby walls that were breaking and crumbling under the force of his chakra. He saw heavy machinery, rocks and anything else not nailed down being thrown back like leaves caught in a storm. Everything around him moved slowly, as if stuck in molasses. Paper, pencils, machinery, the body parts of the men Muramasa slaughtered flew about in slow motion crashing into walls and shattering through the large window.

Finally the wind around Lee began to die down and Muramasa was able to let go of the floor and stand up. He stared at Lee, who for a moment was standing there staring at his own hand. Muramasa noticed that every little movement Lee made, from clenching his fists to raising his hand, was done with incredible speed.

Suddenly Muramasa laughed maniacally and then said, "Yes! This is what we've wanted all along! A challenge! A true challenge for our power! Is that fear we feel? Yes! Fear! It's been so long since we've felt it! It feels…..exhilarating!"

Muramasa suddenly sprinted at Lee who looked away from his hand and stared at the monster running at him in slow motion. "Come and face us," Muramasa yelled as he threw a punch aimed for Lee's face. "You will be our ultimate challenge!"

Suddenly Muramasa was shocked to see no one there. Lee was gone. "What the hell," he said. "Where did you go! Did you teleport!" At that moment Muramasa's heightened hearing allowed him to realize someone was behind him. He turned to see Lee standing a few feet away. "There you are!" Again Muramasa sprinted at Lee, clearing the space between them in a span of a second.

Lee stared at Muramasa, who to him was moving at a snails pace. Lee easily stepped to the left and dodged Muramasa's attack, noticing just how slow Muramasa seemed to him. Lee then grabbed Muramasa's outstretched hand and bent it back snapping it at the elbow and then punched Muramasa in the face.

Muramasa was launched through several tables and though a nearby wall and out into the hallway. His eyes were rolled back up into his head and his jaw was snapped of and hung by the side of his face. He was not breathing and his body lay still amongst the rubble. Suddenly he began to glow and his eyes rolled out and he grabbed his jaw with his left hand and reattached it.

"What the fuck was that," he growled as he reattached his broken arm. "One minute we're about to punch him and the next we're out here. We didn't even see him move at all. Is he really that fast?"

"Monster," Lee said as he stood in the gaping hole Muramasa's body created in the wall. "This is not your ultimate challenge. This is your execution."

_******Meanwhile – Sunagakure******_

Shikamaru dropped his cup of sake on the table as he stared at Naruto slack-jawed. "You're insane," he said. "And I don't mean your typical Naruto level insanity. I mean you're really nuts!"

Temari, Gaara and Matsuri also stared at Naruto in shock as Naruto simply smiled. "I would have to agree with Shikamaru Naruto," Gaara said. "This plan of yours is just reckless."

"Reckless," Shikamaru asked. "Its suicide is what it is! Even if this plan of yours went along perfectly from our end, it still requires Madara and Sasuke to react in the way we want. And that's a complete unknown."

"I'm already aware of that Shikamaru," Naruto said. "But I don't see how we have another choice."

"You want another choice," Gaara asked. "How about I beat the living hell out of you and then create the deepest darkest hole I can and throw you in it and hide you away. How's that for a choice?"

"Gaara," Matsuri said. "Please stay calm. Getting angry won't help this situation."

"Look all of you," Naruto said. "I'm well aware of the risks. But at this point you must realize our situation. Akatsuki has seven of the beast and if the reports are true they now have Bee as well. Which means I'm the last Jinchuricki left. They will come after me, soon. Now I can either wait for them or we can take to the fight to them."

"I don't think you fully comprehend Madara's military strength Naruto," Gaara said. "Our intelligence indicates that Iwagakure is also being manipulated by Madara. In fact we have reason to believe the Tsuchikage himself maybe working with them. And Madara also has control of both the Kirigakure military and an army of Akatsuki mercenaries."

"How large a military force are we talking about here," Shikamaru asked.

"Our estimates place them at over one hundred thousand," Temari said.

"A hundred thousand," Shikamaru yelled in disbelief. "Wholey shit."

"Yes," Gaara said, "Even combined the three villages couldn't defeat such a force."

"You won't need to defeat them," Naruto said. "Just hold them off long enough for me to defeat Madara."

"You're forgetting something Naruto," Temari said. "With everything that's happened how are we supposed to convince the Raikage to join an Alliance, he's not really known to be a reasonable sort."

"True," Shikamaru said, "And with everything that's happened recently who knows what mood he'll be in."

"He'll have no choice once presented with the truth the situation," Naruto said.

Shikamaru leaned back and stared at Naruto and could see the usual unwavering conviction in his eyes. "Shit," he said. "Man, why do you have to always make things so damned difficult? You're gonna make me age before my time." He then sighed deeply and said, "Ah, what the hell. I've followed you this far right. Why stop now?"

Naruto smiled and looked to Gaara and said, "Gaara, how about you? I need your help."

Gaara folded his arms and looked at Naruto. "The elders of Suna won't like it, but considering what we've put you through the last month, I'd say we owe you. You have our support."

"Great," Shikamaru said. "So I guess we head out to Kumogakure in the morning?"

Naruto then scratched the back of his head and smiled. "Actually," he said as he laughed nervously. "I won't be going with you."

"What," Gaara said as he and the others stared at Naruto in utter shock.

Shikamaru then laughed to himself and shook his head. "This just keeps getting better and better," he said.

_******Meanwhile - Akatsuki Airship******_

"Our execution is it," Muramasa said as he got to his feet. Lee watched as more and more sinister chakra began to pour from Muramasa's body. The skin and nails on his fingers began to tear away revealing long cat-like claws. The fangs in his teeth grew longer and sharper and he was then surrounded by chakra armor with one tail swaying behind him. "I'd love to see you try it," Muramasa yelled as he leapt at Lee who was surprised by his increased speed.

Before Lee could block the attack Muramasa slashed him across the chest. The force of the blow launched Lee back into the control room as he slammed up against a control panel.

_So his speed and power has increased with this new transformation_, Lee thought to himself. Muramasa then leapt at Lee again, growling as he appeared above him, ready to pierce Lee in the chest. Lee quickly rolled out of the way just as Muramasa shattered the ground with his attack. Lee quickly got to his feet and kicked Muramasa in the side of the head sending him airborne. But before Muramasa could hit the ground Lee hit him again and again, hitting him higher into the sky before grabbing Muramasa by the face and launching him head first into the stone floor below.

Lee then leapt back to put distance between them and clutched his right hand that was now badly burned and blistered. _Damn_, he thought. _His chakra is so fowl and powerful that it burns just to touch it._ Suddenly Lee spat up blood and wiped it from his mouth. Looking at the blood on the back of his hand he grimaced and then looked around the room. _I need to find the panel that controls this thing and change its direction_, he thought.

Finally Lee saw a large panel with a joystick. "There it is," Lee said as he ran towards it. Just as he was about to grab it Muramasa leapt at him slashing at his neck. Lee was just able to dodge, only taking a small cut to the side of his neck. But now Muramasa stood between him and the controls.

Muramasa roared like a wild beast and ran at Lee forcing to dodge his multiple attacks. Muramasa swung down with his claws hoping to cut Lee in the face but Lee was able to just dodge it and punched Muramasa in the face. But much to Lee's surprise Muramasa easily absorbed the blow and used the momentum sending him down to lunge at Lee's right leg and Muramasa buried his fangs into Lee's knee.

Lee yelled in pain as Muramasa clenched his fangs down tighter and tighter. He could taste Lee's blood and he could feel the bone in Lee's knee begin to crack under the pressure. Lee desperately fought through the pain and kicked Muramasa hard in the stomach forcing him to let go the kicked him again in the face launching Muramasa back. Lee then quickly grabbed Muramasa by the ankle as he was in midair and swung him around and threw him into and through a far wall.

Lee then again coughed blood as he felt a sharp pain in his wounded knee. Lee then turned towards the controls and again made his way towards them when Muramasa leapt threw the whole in the wall and slashed Lee in the back pitching him forward and to the ground. Again Muramasa threw a punch, intent on piercing Lee in the chest. Lee back flipped out of the way just in time and leapt back to gain additional space between them.

_Damn_, Lee said as he could feel his heart rate pick up even more_. This guy has lost any resemblance to being human. He's just an animal now; going on pure instinct with no fear of pain or death._ (Thump! Thump!) Lee felt a sharp pain in his heart and clutched at his chest and winced. The pain quickly passed and he quickly readied himself as Muramasa ran at him.

Muramasa swiped at Lee who crouched under the attack and punched Muramasa in the jaw and up into the air. Lee then leapt up with him and began to punch Muramasa again and again with increasing speed until green flames began to appear. "Morning Peacock," Lee yelled as he landed countless flaming punches all over Muramasa's body finishing with a massive double fisted hammer blow that launched Muramasa down crashing through the floor and the floor of the room beneath them before landing in a smoldering heap of rubble two levels below.

_******Meanwhile – Sunagakure – Gaara's home******_

"So let me get this straight," Shikamaru said. "You want us to walk into the heart of enemy territory and convince the Raikage, one of the most hardheaded and impatient men who ever lived, to not only to end his war on our villages but to join an alliance with us, all the while you won't even be there?"

Naruto took a deep breath and smiled. "You know it doesn't sound so great when you put it like that," Naruto said.

"Doesn't really sound great no matter how you say it," Shikamaru said as he got to his feet, clearly exasperated and walked over and leaned up against a nearby wall.

"Where do you plan to go Naruto," Gaara asked. "Are you heading back to Konoha?"

"I wish," Naruto said. "But there is someplace else I need to be for now. Something I need to do. But once I'm done I'll meet you all back in Konoha."

"Well that sounds very mysterious," Matsuri said. "Care to be a bit more specific?"

"Sorry but I can't," Naruto said. "I just need you guys to trust me."

"Well what else is new," Temari said.

"Alright," Shikamaru said as he returned to the group. "I don't know what you've got cooking but it's like I said before, I've followed you this far, so I'll keep following you. So when do you leave?"

Naruto smiled and got to his feet then said, "Right now." Naruto then bit his thumb causing a little bit of blood to trickle out. He then wiped the blood on his palm and slammed it to the ground. "Summoning Jutsu," he said and a small blue toad with green spots appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Hello Gamateno," Naruto said.

Gamateno waved cheerfully and said, "Hello Naruto-kun! Shima-chan has everything prepared for you!"

"Great," Naruto said as he turned to everyone. "Ok guys, I know what I'm asking for you to do is a lot. But I have great faith in you all that you can get this done."

Before Naruto disappeared Shikamaru said, "Naruto wait. Can I speak with you in private?"

"Of course," Naruto said as the two walked outside.

"What is it Shikamaru," Naruto said.

"It's about what happened this morning during the trial," Shikamaru said. "I know you tried to protect Sasuke by not mentioning him by name. And I used that fact against Krolik. I just wanted to apologize."

For a while Naruto just stared blankly at Shikamaru before placing his hand on his shoulder and smiling. "No need to apologize Shikamaru. I owe you too much to hold something like that against you."

Naruto then turned and walked over to Gamateno who remained sitting watching them speak. "By the way, there was one thing you were wrong about this morning," Naruto said.

"Oh," Shikamaru said.

"The reason I didn't mention Sasuke by name wasn't to protect him," Naruto said. Naruto then turned to face Shikamaru and he could see a cold determination in Naruto's eyes. "I did it because I didn't want Gaara to have any more reasons to go after Sasuke. I don't want anyone to get in my way. Because….Sasuke…is mine. I plan to deal with him myself." Naruto then looked Gamateno and said, "Let's go Gamateno." And with that, Naruto and the toad disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving Shikamaru standing alone in the courtyard.

_******Akatsuki Airship******_

(THUMP! THUMP!) Lee clutched his chest and fell to his knees as he stood at the edge of the gaping hole left be Muramasa. "Damn," Lee whispered as he looked behind him at the ships controls. Lee got to his feet and walked over to the stick used to control the ship and reached out to grab is when he saw the shadow of a large hand underneath him.

Lee looked up to see an impossibly large paw stretching out from the hole Muramasa created. The claws were quickly descending upon Lee forcing him to leap clear to avoid being skewered. But as Lee leapt clear he was shocked to see something growing out from the creatures arm.

To Lee's amazement it was the upper body of Muramasa who roared and used Lee's brief moment of hesitation to bury his hand through Lee stomach, punching though it cleanly to the other side.

Lee screamed as he experienced a pain he'd never before known and his chakra flared up bathing the room in a green glow. Lee grabbed Muramasa's arm and tried to force it out but to no avail. Muramasa was far too strong in this form and it was then Lee heard Muramasa's bestial laughter.

Angered, Lee began to punch Muramasa in the face, over and over again. Every time a punch landed, green sparks flew out from the pure force of each hit. With each attack Lee could feel Muramasa weakening and could see him reeling back. Finally the beast could take no more and removed its hand from inside Lee's stomach and disappeared back into its arm.

Lee instantly fell to his knees and clutched at the gapping, bloody hole in his side. But much to his surprise it had already begun to heal. _So this is the power of the full Eight Gates_, he thought. _I see now why it's considered so powerful. _

Lee then saw the long extended arm begin to shrink to normal size as Muramasa pulled himself out of the hole. This time he looked even more bestial, with all his clothes gone and his entire body now the form of a large blue cat-like creature with two long tails.

Muramasa began to lick its own fur, swallowing clumps of it at a time. Lee instantly knew what he was about to do. _Just like last time_, he thought. _But this time I am prepared._ Lee quickly got to his feet and placed his hands in front of his face and exploded with energy.

Forming a fist with one hand he focused all his energy into it and then tapped it forward with his other hand. He then intertwined his fingers and released the energy forward in a large blast that took the form of a tiger. "Afternoon Tiger," Lee yelled as his attack launched towards Muramasa who spat out a large blast of chakra at Lee.

Both blasts of energy struck each other and caused an explosion that tore away the entire ceiling and much of the floor and caused the entire ship to shudder. Far below in the ships cargo hold, several hundred Akatsuki ninja sat waiting for their moment to assault Konoha. One of them, a tall ninja with long white hair and blue eyes sat nearest the exit. He was chosen to lead the ground forces once the second wave began.

"What was that," another ninja asked him. "Have we engaged the enemy already?"

"Possibly," the ninja said. "But that sounded like we took a heavy hit. And if we've already made it to Konoha why haven't we received word from Lord Muramasa to prepare for attack?" The ninja thought about it for a while then stood up.

"I want you six men to come with me," he said. "I want to check on things up above. The rest of you prepare to attack Konoha." The leader along with his men opened the exit and began to make their way up to the bridge.

After climbing several levels up they came across the level which contained the laser control room and were shocked to see it in rubble. "What the hell happened," the leader said. _Damn_, he thought. _This explosion came from inside._

"C'mon we need to head to the bridge," he said to his men as they began to sprint up the nearby stairs. As they went higher and higher they saw increasing amount of damage and found the bodies, or body parts, of comrades.

"What the hell is going on around here," the leader said as the finally reached the bridge. As they arrived they found rubble and body parts scattered about. The walls we all nearly destroyed and the ceiling was ripped away. Most of the floor was destroyed and they could see piles of rubble in the level below. As they looked out they could see they were still flying towards Konoha as they could just make out the mountain range in the distance.

"We're not even in Konoha yet," one ninja said. "What the hell happened here? Who could have caused all this?" Just then the ninja's heard a deep bestial growl coming from a pile of rocks not too far away. To their horror a blue furred beast, broke free from the rubble. There were many cuts and bruises on it and it looked like it lost an eye.

"What is that," one ninja asked.

Frozen in terror the leader stared at the creature as it growled at them. _Could that be Lord Muramasa_, he thought. _Did he do this? Has he lost control again?_

Suddenly the creature reared back preparing to leap at them. "No," the leader yelled. "Everyone, run! We need to run now!" But as the creature leapt at them they all knew it was too late.

_******Meanwhile – Konoha******_

Guy stood in front of several Konoha ninja as the alarms sounded all around. Ten minutes ago word came down that an enemy had passed through their borders and was heading straight for the village. As was standard practice the alarms were raised and all available ninja reported for duty. Many were dispatched to get all civilians to the shelters in the mountain, while others were dispatched to defend the village.

As Guy yelled out orders, Ino and TenTen came running up to him. "Guy-sensei," Ino asked. "What's going on? Which enemy are we facing?"

"I'm not sure Ino," Guy said. "What we do know is that the enemy is traveling into our land on what has been described as a large flying ship. One very similar to the old ships that were used by the Sky Country."

"The Land of Sky," TenTen asked. "But weren't they all destroyed during the Second War?"

"Yes," Guy said. "It's very confusing indeed. But right now we can't worry about that. The old war ships of the Sky were some of the most destructive forces the world has ever known. We need to stop that ship before it makes it to the village. Ino, you head back to the hospital. Lady Tsuande is already there and she will need your help."

"Right," Ino said as she ran off.

"TenTen," Guy said. "I'll need you with my group. We need to hit that thing with every bit of fire power we have and bring it down, got it?"

"Don't worry sensei," TenTen said. "You can't count on me!"

_******Meanwhile – Just below the Akatsuki airship******_

The escape airboat crashed hard into several trees before coming to an abrupt stop. Neji, Kiba and Akamaru slowly got to their feet after being knocked around by the rough landing. "Damn," Kiba said. "That's definitely not something I want to do again. Are you alright Akamaru?" Akamaru barked weakly as he continued to nurse his front leg. Kiba rubbed Akamaru's head and said, "Don't worry boy. We'll get you home so we can treat your wounds properly."

Kiba then looked to Neji who was quickly scanning the area. "Any idea how far we are from Konoha," Kiba asked.

"Not far," Neji asked. "Maybe five miles or so." Neji continued to scan the area before finding what he was looking for. "There," he said as he suddenly climbed out of the boat and ran off into the trees.

"Hey Neji where are you going," Kiba yelled as Neji ran off. Kiba then climbed out of the boat and helped Akamaru out before following in Neji's direction. The ground began to rise slowly and Kiba knew they were ascending a cliff.

A few minutes later Kiba and Akamaru came through the trees and reached the edge of the cliff where Neji was standing. Looking out Kiba could see what Neji wanted to see. Some distance away, high in the sky was the airship, still on course for Konoha which they could see in the distance.

They could see large plums of smoke coming from an area in the back of the ship which they could assume was from the explosion they'd set of in the weapons control room. But there was also smoke coming from what looked like the front of the ship.

"What's going on,' Kiba asked.

"It looks like Lee and Muramasa are fighting," Neji said. "Lee's chakra level is through the roof right now. He obviously opened the gates. But Muramasa, his chakra level is equal to what he used against us the last time. I don't know if Lee can hold out against him."

"Wait," Kiba said. "You said Lee opened the gates right? Well he opened six last time and it wasn't enough. How many has he opened now?"

"I don't know for sure," Neji said. "But judging by the amount of power he's releasing, he very well could have opened them all."

"All or them," Kiba yelled. "But from what I understand if he opens all of them he'll….."

Neji looked at Kiba with a concerned stare, causing Kiba's words to trail away. Then they looked back to the ship and watched, waited and prayed.

_******Meanwhile – Nearby******_

"What do you see Hinata," Choji asked as he looked up at Hinata who was standing on top of a high tree. Her Byakugan was activated and she was looking off into the distance.

"You won't believe this but it looks like a giant flying village," Hinata said. "And it's flying straight for Konoha."

"Shit," Choji said. "Any chance that thing is on our side?"

"Doubt it," Shino said. "Whatever that thing is it's probably going to attack."

"Wait a minute," Hinata said. "There was just a large explosion coming from the front of the ship. And I can see a large and very foul chakra coming from right where the explosion was. And another chakra as well. It's very powerful. But…..no….it can't be."

"What is it," Shino asked. "It looks like Lee. But that's impossible. His chakra level is too high! So high that for a second I thought it could have been Naruto! And….."

"And what," Choji asked.

"And it looks like the chakra is overwhelming his body," Hinata said. "It's almost as if the body can't handle the chakra it's releasing. I don't understand what's going on."

"We need to hurry on," Shino said. "Whatever's happening we need to be there just in case. Hinata, Choji let's go."

"Right," Hinata said as she leapt down and followed as they ran towards Konoha.

******Akatsuki Airship******

Lee hung to a broken rafter by his left hand. Far below him he could see the ground as it swiftly passed by. The resulting explosion from the combined attack had ripped the ceiling and front of the bridge clear away. And he was thrown back with it and was nearly thrown clear out of the ship. Lee was able to grab a loose piece of the ship at the last second, preventing what surely would have been a fatal fall to ground below.

Lee grimaced in pain as he stared at the pieces of shrapnel lodged in his right arm. It was bleeding profusely and despite the 8 gates being activated, wasn't healing. He then looked to the wound in his stomach and saw that this had stopped healing as well. (THUMP! THUMP!) Lee then felt a sharp pain in his heart and coughed blood. _Time is running out_, he thought to himself. _My body won't hold up too much longer. I have to end this. _

Lee then looked over his shoulder, and in the distance he could see the familiar mountain overlooking Konoha. He had to stop the ship now. Summoning all his strength he began to pull himself up. Lee fought through the pain in his right arm and grabbed an exposed piece of rock and continued pulling himself back to the platform above.

Finally as he pulled himself to the platform, Lee was struck with a horrific sight. Muramasa was standing among the mutilated remains of several Akatsuki ninja. No doubt they had come after hearing the sounds of battle. Unfortunately the one they expected to be their ally was anything but. Muramasa stood growling at Lee, his hands, chest and face dripping with the blood of his comrades.

"So you survived boy," Muramasa said. "You continue to impress us."

Lee closed his eyes as he tried to compose himself. _Guy sensei_, he thought. _I now understand what my purpose is. What all the training and hard work was for. It was not for me I did it, but for you, and Neji, TenTen, Naruto and everyone else. For my home, for my friends and family. _

Lee suddenly opened his eyes and exploded with power as he again began to glow bright green. It was then he recalled his training.

_******Konoha – One Year Ago******_

"_Alright Lee," Guy said, "I have shown you the proper stance and execution of both the Morning Peacock and the Afternoon Tiger. Now I will show you the ultimate technique that can only be used when the Eighth Gate is opened. _

"_Yes sensei," Lee yelled excitedly._

"_Now follow after me," Guy said as he stood sideways and slide his left leg forward while bending his right. "Now Lee, as you know opening the Eighth Gate requires making the ultimate sacrifice, because doing so releases all your chakra which overwhelms the body."_

_Guy, with Lee following behind him, then placed his hands out in front of him with his right hand bent slightly and guarding his chest and his left faced out with both palms out. "This technique takes all the stored up chakra that is now multiplied tenfold thanks to the released Eighth Gate and combines it with all your stamina and power and focuses it into one blast of electrified force."_

_Lee then followed Guy as he swung his arms out, placing his right arm behind him and his left in front._

"_Unlike the Afternoon Tiger," Guy said. "This technique starts as a pinpoint attack but increases in mass so that it can attack one or many enemies with electrified force.'_

_Guy then tensed his right fist and threw it forward. "But as you can tell," Guy said. "This is a double edged sword. This technique harnesses all of your supercharged energy to create an unstoppable, un-blockable and inescapable technique. But as I said, it uses all of your chakra and stamina, even the amount necessary to keep you alive. So once this technique is used you will die."_

_Finally Guy stood up straight and said, "Lee it is my hope you never have to use this technique. But if the day comes where you deem it necessary I have complete faith in you. And if you ever use this technique at that moment, you will be exposed to your truth. The name of this technique is….."_

_******Akatsuki Airship – Now******_

Lee slid his left foot forward and bent back slightly on his right. He placed his hands, palm out in front of him as all the power began to focus into his hands. His hands began to glow bright green as green electricity flowed through them.

Seeing this caused Muramasa to shudder in fear and he quickly reared back and he opened his mouth wide. An inhuman sound came from Muramasa as his jaw began to unhinge and his mouth opened wider than anything humanly possible. Suddenly a light began to emanate from his mouth that began to grow in intensity.

Lee then swung his arms out before placing his right arm out behind him, and his left out in front. He could feel the power in both his hands flow into his chest and heart as it pulled all the stamina from his body. Suddenly his entire body began to glow and crackle with green electricity as the power ripped his shirt from his body leaving his chest bare as he began to scream.

Muramasa then released a beam of pure chakra directly at Lee with such intensity that it would rip a mountain in half. Lee then clenched his right hand and threw it forward and to Muramasa's surprise the energy surrounding Lee's right hand took the shape of a green dragon.

"This is my ultimate technique and the truest expression of my youth," Lee said. Suddenly the beam snaked out of Lee's fist like a dragon flying though the wind striking Muramasa's attack head on. Lee then yelled, "The Twilight Dragon!"

Lee's attack quickly began to grow larger and larger as it quickly consumed Muramasa's attack and launched itself at Muramasa himself. Muramasa was shocked to see this green dragon as it slammed into him. The dragon opened its mouth and bit into Muramasa's body as it grabbed him and launched into the back wall. Muramasa was blasted back into another wall and another as the dragon blasted through the entire ship before turning upward and blasting through ceiling after ceiling until it ripped through the entire ship and high into the sky as Muramasa screamed in incredible pain.

Meanwhile Lee, still in his stance and focusing on his attack thought,

_Guy Sensei, I think I finally understand what you meant._

_I finally see my truth._

_All these years I've chased after Neji and Naruto and Sasuke._

_Just to prove I was just as good. That I too was a great ninja._

_But now I see that greatness dos not come from a person's strength, speed or intelligence._

_But from their heart. Their willingness to sacrifice for those they care about._

_I think I understand that now. I think I understand why Naruto achieved what he did._

_I think now, at the end I think I understand why I was able to achieve this._

_Guy-sensei, thank you. You have given me so much. You made my life one worth living._

_Neji….Naruto…..Guy sensei…..Kiba…TenTen….everyone….._

_Can you see me?_

_Can you feel my words and my heart as it beats for the last time?_

_Are you happy for me?_

_That I've finally found what I've always wanted?_

_I've finally seen my truth!_

_I've reached my destiny!_

_And in my heart I know I've become….._

"Splendid," Neji whispered as he watched the Akatsuki ship explode in a ball of fire high in the sky only a mile from Konoha. Pieces of the ship fell as the fire and smoke seemed to reach the heavens. But what truly took his breath away as the vision of the large green dragon, larger than even Jiraiya's toad summon, towering over the land.

Neji and Kiba could see that it was not an animal summon but in fact was a chakra infused technique that took the form of the beast. Its head was incredibly large with deep angry eyes. Its entire body crackled with electricity as its body wound down back into the heart of the explosion.

After a minute or so the flaming wreckage of the ship fell to the earth leaving the large dragon suspended in the air. The beast seemed to merely float as it looked out over the land before turning to look at Konoha. As Neji inspected the beast he saw that the as the long snake like body wound down it shrank to a small pinpoint. And at the center of that pinpoint Neji could see a body floating there. "Lee," he whispered.

_******Meanwhile – Konoha******_

Tsunade stood amongst the crowd of onlookers who all stared in amazement at the large dragon in the distance. She could hear the hushed, frightened whispers of those around her as they questioned what this thing was that now hovered above them like a silent protector.

_Impossible_, Tsunade thought. _That must be the Twilight Dragon. But only Guy could perform that if necessary._ Tsunade then looked far across the courtyard and saw Guy standing staring at the dragon. His fists clutched so tight his knuckles were white. Standing next to him was Tenten, clearly confused as to what she was seeing. _But if Guy is there_, Tsunade thought. _Then could that be…?_ Tsunade gasped as the realization dawned on her.

_******Meanwhile******_

"What is that Sensei," Tenten asked as she stared at the Dragon in awe. "I've never seen anything so incredible like this before. What is it?" Tenten looked to Guy and saw grief in his expression as he stared in the sky. "Guy sensei,' she asked but Guy didn't answer. He couldn't. Guy was at this moment a million miles away.

He was recalling the day he first met his pupil, the day he declared he would become a splendid ninja through hard work, the day he saw Lee's genius and perseverance. "Lee," he whispered as a tear rolled down his cheek. "You've done it. You've achieved truth. And in doing so, you have surpassed me. No longer are you my pupil, but my comrade."

_******Meanwhile – High above Konoha******_

Lee floated as he could feel his eyes closing. _(THUMP! THUMP!) _He could feel the wind envelope his body. It was as if he were a bird soaring through the clouds. Free from al the entrapments of the world below and to never again no the feeling of the earth beneath his feet.

As his eyes closed for the last time Lee smiled.

_I've done it sensei, he thought._

_I've protected my home and the people I care for. (THUMP…THUMP)_

_I fulfilled my obligation for opening the Eighth Gate._

_And I've left no regrets. No…..wait…..there is one_

_Tenten. I never got to tell you in person. (THUMP…THUMP)_

_But hopefully Neji will give you my letter._

_It's not what I wanted but that will have to do._

_I wonder…..what….the next world will be like (THUMP…..THUMP)_

_I can probably see my mother and father again_

_And I can train there for as long as I desire. So that I can become really strong._

_Yeah…that's….going...to be….great._

_(Thump….)_

Lee, Guy, Tsunade, Tenten and everyone else stared as the Dragon roared so loud it made the earth shake. Then it slowly began to fade, as if it had been nothing but a dream. And as the last of it faded away on the wind a solitary body, that was once there friend, fell to the earth.

End of Chapter Twelve

Next Time: The Long Road Home


	13. The Long Road Home

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I begin by stating I do not own Naruto. All hail Kishi-sama!

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**THANK YOU**

A special thanks goes to all who reviewed my previous chapter: tosakuai; GreedO3114; RunningLion; Gravenimage; iiDarkness; FoxSage19; Sevensin; calc; WarChicken; charles cdv; Kushina's Truth of Hell; Diamond Man; Codegeasslulu; Sasuke K; Silver Senpai; Mudcake; airnaruto45; PJ Hatake; goldone5 and buzzbumble.

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**REPLIES**

**Tosakuai **- Thanx. Lee is gone but he will not be forgotten. And I think you'll see he still has some influence yet.

**Greedo3114 **- THNAK YOU FOR THE COMPLIMENT IN ALL CAPS! LMAO! yes, I know the switching of scenes can interupt the flow at times. But when dealing with such a large cast and so many moving parts I really see no other option. It's actually quite challenging to give each person "screen time" while at the same time not let the story stagnate. Guy will have his time to let his emotions flow. but guy is still a ninja, taught to set aside emotion when necessary. And believe me peer pressure does not affect me. I am going to tell the story i wish to tell and let the chips fall where they may. I'm just happy that so many have found it enjoyable.

**RunningLion** - Ahhh, another new reviewer. Glad you decided to send me one. And I'm glad you're enjoying things.

**GravenImage** - Thanx.

**iiDarkness** - Here are two more words: Thank you. Man, you have no idea how much research I put into creating my own version of the 8th gate. I wanted it to be believable, in line with the previous abilities and of course, epic. Researching how I could make this work was one of the reasons I took time off. So I'm glad it worked out. No, Naruto didn't say what his plan is yet. Well, at least I didn't reveal it to you yet. But you'll see very soon that Shikamaru isn't the only strategist around.

**FoxSage19** - Thanx my friend.

**Sevensin **- Thanx. Glad it was.

**calc** - Yes he is. Thanx.

**WarChicken **- Thanx. Yes, I actually felt sad writing it. But it had to be done.

**charles cdv** - Thanx.

**Kushina's** - Yeah, unfortunately I can't do long chapters and stick to a weekly schedule. Would you prefer a long chapter every two weeks instead? Yeah, for so many people who love Lee very few poeple seem to use him much in thier stories. I wonder why? So you liked Lee's parts huh? Well, you're pretty pervy aren't you? Lol! Vancouver was a beautiful place. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to hit up the usual tourist spots as I went there for a wedding, but I'm sure you'll have fun. And fear not my dear. My upadtes will be back for the foreseeable future.

**Diamond Man** - Yes, his was a good death and I'm glad you loved how it was portrayed.

**Codegeasslulu** - Glad you're enjoying it. Realism (as much as you can with such a story with characters with superhuman powers) was really a goal of mine when I began this story. I wanted these characters to feel like the canon version with a bit more maturity. And I wanted the affect of this war to truely touch thier lives and not just some thing to over come and just live happily ever after. And if you think things are bad now. Just wait. When Madara makes his final move things will never again be the same.

**Sasuke K **- Yeah, TenTen's loss will be examined in future chapters.

**Silver Senpai** - Thanx my friend. You approval means much to me.

**Mudcake** - Naruto's plan is to have some Ramen. Beyond that I reveal nothing. =P

**airnaruto P** - _Gratias tibi ago_ Airnaruto - san.

**PJ Hatake** - I know his death isn't ideal but trust me it was necessary for the purpose of the story. And i didn't do it just for "shock value". As some may think. Believe me his death will have a purpose. Glad you liked it.

**goldone5** - You know, I'm not much of a cryer myself. So I know what you mean. But when i re-read that chapter I did feel a little something. And that's when I knew I had something there. Details of Naruto's plan are forthecoming. In fact you'll see parts of it begin here. And the Naruto / Sakura reunion will happen. But right now they must grow seperately before they can grow together if that makes sense.

The mark of a good author is to make readers feel passionately about characters whether it be love or hate. So if you feel this way about Danzo then I guess I've done my job.

**buzzbumble **- Thanx buzz.

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**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Ok, so thanx again for reading. And please remember to leave a little review for me as you leave. I kind of need those to live. I stick revies into an IV once a day. What can I say? It's my addiction. And in case some of you don't know, **October 10 is Naruto's birthday!** Soooo everyone, **don't forget to wish Naruto a Happy Birthday!**

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XIII: The Long Road Home

_******Mount Myoboku – Hall of the Great Toad Sage - Mid Afternoon******_

Naruto stood staring at the large old toad who sat on his thrown before him. "Ahh," the toad said as he looked down upon Naruto. "So you have returned boy? Good. Good. Tell me, are you ready for what is to come?"

Naruto bowed and said, "Great Honorable Geezer, thank you. Things worked out just as your vision predicted."

"Ahh," the toad said, "Do not presume too much boy. There is still much to do. Your comrades must still convince the Raikage to join you."

"I have faith in Shikamaru and Gaara," Naruto said. "After all you did say Shikamaru's help would be necessary."

"And yet you tried to do it without him," the toad responded. The toad suddenly began to cough violently.

Shima, who was sitting nearby looked worried and asked, "Geezer are you all right?"

The Toad Sage raised his large hand and waved her off. "Yes," he said. "I'm fine. Do not bother yourself over me." For a moment the elder toad merely stared at Naruto and then said, "Now what's this! A young human is here before me? Who are you?"

"What," Shima yelled. "Pay attention you senile old man! This is Naruto. You remember him don't you? You were just speaking to him."

"Ahhh," the old toad said. "Yes. I remember now. Yes. Tell me Naruto-boy, are you prepared to do what must be done next?"

"Yes," Naruto said. "Lady Shima was gracious enough to prepare things for my training."

"Good," the old toad said. "Then you should begin right away. I fear time runs short."

The old toad sat and stared at Naruto who had yet to budge. Naruto remained staring silently at the old toad. "You seem to have something on your mind Naruto," the old toad said.

"Three months ago you summoned me here because you had a vision," Naruto said. "You warned me that the final battle would soon begin. But before that, I would fall into sleeping death and would awaken, enlightened. You said that soon after I would have to make a choice. To go on a journey that would help pave the way to bring peace back to the land. But if I left, I would lose one that was close to me."

Naruto took a deep breath and then said, "Despite what my heart was saying I decided to take the journey and I do not regret it. However, during the time I could only think of whose life would be lost. Back when you told me this vision I asked you who it would be. And you said it was unclear. But you were lying. You knew which one of my friends would die didn't you."

The old toad sat silently as observed Naruto. "If I had told you. You would have done everything you could to prevent it. To try to prevent fate brings only greater chaos. No man can prevent fate Naruto. Not even you."

"Who," Naruto asked. "I deserve to know."

For a moment the old toad closed his eyes and sat silently. He then took a deep breath as he sat back in his seat. Opening his eyes he said, "I do not know his name. But I saw a great battle in the sky. There was much blood, suffering and pain and a great evil that threatened Konoha from the skies. Yet in the end I see a protective dragon and a tranquil face. This face…..this face was at peace. This one wears green, with bushy eyebrows and a bowl cut."

Naruto gritted his teeth and clenched his fists in anger. Lee, he thought as he fought as hard as he could not to scream.

Shima and the elder toad remained silent as Naruto worked to fight the rage that threatened to engulf him. After a few minutes Shima spoke up. "Naruto-boy, will you be ok? Perhaps you need some time alone?"

"No Lady Shima," Naruto said as he turned and began to walk away. "Elder Toad is right. We don't have much time. I need to begin my training now. I'll mourn later."

Naruto walked outside the great hall and up to a nearby cliff and looked out over the land. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes allowing the cool breeze to flow around him. He could feel the tears forming in his eyes like a dam close to bursting. But he knew he didn't have the time. He had to wait. And so he chose to focus on other things.

Opening his eyes Naruto looked behind him and said, "Gamateno."

Gamateno leapt out of nearby bush and cheerfully said, "Yes Naruto-kun."

"I need you to take a message out for me," Naruto said. 'It's very important that it gets there quickly."

"Of course Naruto-kun," Gamateno said. "I'll do anything to help."

_******Meanwhile – Location near Otogakure******_

"Did you guys see that," Anko said as she looked off into the distance. She, Sakura and Yamato were standing on her summoned snake's head as it made its way to the cave. "I could have sworn I saw a green light in the distance. In the direction of where the ship flew off to."

"I wish I knew what was happening," Sakura said sadly. "But we can't focus on that now."

As soon as she said that they broke through the woods and into a clearing. In the middle of the small, open area was a cave, about ten feet high and three body lengths wide. They quickly leapt down to the ground and Anko dismissed her snake and it disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"This has to be it," Yamato said as he heard the ground shudder. Sakura was right. When that ship ripped free from the ground it made the entire area unstable. This place could fall apart at any minute.

"Ok," Yamato said. "Let's head down there and find those prisoners. Be careful though. That place could be full of enemies and booby traps." As they carefully made their way to the entrance a kunai flew directly at Yamato's head. Yamato was able to duck out of the way just in time just as ten ninja came running out at them screaming.

_******Meanwhile – In the cave below******_

"Do you hear that," the old man asked as he stood by the prison bars straining to hear what was happening down the hallway. All of the prisoners slowly got to their feet and came close to the bars and tried to make sense of the noise they were hearing.

"It sounds like the sound of battle," another man said excitedly. "Do you think someone has finally found us?"

"Don't get too excited Hiroshi," another man said. "For all we know they could be just practicing up there like they often do."

"That sounds very serious to be just practice," another man said.

Suddenly they heard the unmistakable sounds of several explosions coming from the battle. "Hey," another man said, "There's no way that is just practice. There's no way they'd set off explosions and risk being heard!"

Suddenly the realization that this could be the moment they'd been waiting for dawned on the dozens of captives as they began to yell and scream in hopes that they would be heard. After a few minutes every thing went silent. The sounds of fighting and explosions ended and everyone grew silent as they tried to hear any sign of what may have happened.

"Do you think it's over," an old man asked. Before anyone could answer the sound of footsteps emanated from the hallway above. Several people were running in their direction.

"Someone's coming," one man said. "Get back everyone!" Knowing that one of the major rules made by their captors was that no one stands by the bars, all of the prisoners scrambled away and back into the shadows for fear that they be punished.

Finally a person came from the hallway and into the light of the torch and ran up to the bars. To the surprise of all the prisoners this person wasn't dressed like any of the men who held them prisoner, but was instead wearing a black cloak, black and grey armor and a red and white porcelain mask. "Here they are," the masked man said and a few seconds' later two similarly dressed women appeared.

"Are you people ok," one of the women asked to which all of the prisoners remained silent. Realizing the fear with which these people held them the woman removed her mask and everyone could see her pink hair and gentle smile. "We are ninja from Konoha," she said. "We're here to help you. You don't have to be afraid. My name is Sakura. Are there any people here that need immediate medical attention?"

"No," said one old man as he sat next to a young boy. "Please just help us get out of here."

"Of course," Sakura said with a smile. "Please stand away from the gate." Everyone stood aside and watched in amazement as this pink haired girl reared back and punched the gate once and the gate flew off its hinges and crashed into the wall on the opposite side of the prison.

Slowly the men began to walk out of the prison cell just as they felt another deep tremor all around. "We need to hurry and get them out of here before this whole place collapses," Anko said.

"Wait," another old man said. "There is another prison cell further down the hallway. It's where they kept any women. Please help them too."

"Alright," Yamato said. "I'll find them. You two lead these guys up to the surface." Yamato then ran off down the hallway as Anko took the lead.

"Sakura, you take up the rear as we head up ok," Anko said as they began to head up the darkened hallway.

In the back Sakura walked as she looked over the several dozen men in front of her. They were all emaciated and showed signs physical abuse. Sakura couldn't believe what type of monster you'd have to be to do that to a human being.

She then looked over and saw an old man talking to a young boy. "You see Ozuru," he said. "You were right after all. All we had to do was remain hopeful. It is thanks to you we all lived to see this day." Ozuru then looked behind to Sakura and smiled, causing her to smile back.

A few minutes later they exited the cave and come out into the fresh air. After being held captive for so long the men began to rejoice, some of them cry, at the sight of the sun and fresh air. "Forgive our joy," Misato said. "But some of us can't even remember the last time we saw the sun."

Sakura walked next to Ozuru who also had tears in his eyes and placed her hand on his shoulder. "It's more than alright," she said.

A few minutes later Yamato emerged with a handful of women. The group of captives rejoiced together and as they did Yamato signaled Sakura and Anko off to the side. "Ok, now that we've saved them now what," Yamato asked.

"I say we follow behind the ship and see if there is anything that can be done," Anko said.

Sakura looked over to the group of people and the young boy who was looking up at the sky. "We can't leave them," she said.

"Wait a minute Sakura," Anko said. "Now I understand wanting to release them from their prisons. But we aren't responsible for these people. We need to make sure Konoha is safe."

"Do whatever you want Anko," Sakura said, "But I am taking responsibility for them. And I won't just leave them in the middle of nowhere. These people are too weakened to fend for themselves. They wouldn't last a day with all the enemies still lurking around."

"But where would we take them," Anko asked. "There isn't a safe village for miles."

"Yes there is," Sakura said. "Konoha."

Both Anko and Yamato looked in shock. "Konoha," Anko said. "Do you forget how dangerous it would be to go back now!"

"It doesn't matter," Sakura said. "I know you guys wanted to protect me, but I can't stay hidden. And these people need protection."

"But what if they are refused asylum," Yamato asked.

"They won't be," Sakura said. "Not with me by their side."

Yamato sighed deeply and could see the determination in Sakura's eyes. This was not a fight he was going to win. "Alright then," Yamato said. "We'll return to Konoha. But you should stay hidden Anko. Danzo is still looking for you and it's still too dangerous."

Anko looked at both Sakura and Yamato and took a deep breath. "Fine," Anko said. "But make sure to let me know if things take a turn for the worse. That Danzo is not to be trusted."

"Right," Yamato said with a smile. Anko then leapt up into the trees and disappeared.

"Alright everyone," Sakura said as she addressed the crowd. "We've decided to take you all with us. We're heading back to Konoha. If there is anyone here who feels physically unable to make the journey please let me know now." No one spoke up. "Alright then," Sakura said. "Let's move out."

As they walked down the wooded path Sakura remained ahead of the group as Yamato remained in the trees. Yamato had also sent one of his wood clones ahead to be on lookout for any sign of enemy movement.

As Sakura walked she noticed again the young boy as he walked just behind her. Often the boy would look at the others and if they seemed tired or close to collapse he would lend a shoulder for them to lean on so they could keep going. All the while he would say words of encouragement to keep their spirits up during the long journey.

"You there," Sakura asked as the boy walked.

"Yes," the boy said.

"What's your name," Sakura asked.

"Ozuru," he said. "Tanaka Ozuru, from the Land of Birds."

"You seem to be a very brave kid," Sakura said with a smile. "How old are you?"

"Eleven," he said.

"You're a strong kid for an eleven year old," Sakura said. "Do you have any family? Anyone we can send you too?"

The boy shook his head and his expression grew sad. Sakura could see he was trying not to cry. "No," he said as his voice cracked. "My mother died when I was four. My father raised me alone; until just recently. He…..was killed by those men."

Sakura placed her hand on the boys shoulder and smiled. "I think both he and your mother would be very proud of your strength. I know I am."

The boy looked at Sakura for a long moment then smiled.

_******KiriGakure – Several miles underneath the Capital building******_

Bee's unconscious body, still wrapped in the heavy chains, hit the floor with a deafening thud. Standing above him was the smiling figure of Kisame. "I told you I could get the job done," he said.

Standing in front of him, with Bee lying at his feet, stood Madara. "If I had doubted you Kisame I never would have sent you," Madara replied.

"Heh," Kisame said. "At least this time it's no substitution jutsu that's for sure. But with Pain gone how are we supposed to seal this bastard?"

Just then Kisame heard footsteps coming from the darkened hallway behind Madara. "Don't worry Kisame," Madara said. "That's already been taken care of." It was at that the person came into view and Kisame saw it was Sasuke. And as the light hit his face Kisame was shocked to see Sasuke's eyes.

******Konoha – Three Days Later******

Danzo sat in his office as Fu stood before him. "I can't believe that bastard Madara," he said. "He truly has double crossed me and left me to rot! For him to actually send that airship after us is unforgivable! He knew that wasn't the plan at all!"

"So what do we do now," Fu asked.

Danzo sat forward in his seat and nervously rubbed his hands together. The truth was, he didn't know. Everything was coming apart before his very eyes. His only hope now, resided in a deep prison.

Just then they heard a knock on his door. "Come in," Danzo said.

The door opened and it was an ANBU ninja. "My Lord," he said. "There is a group of people at the main gate seeking asylum within Konoha."

"How did they get so far into the Land of Fire," Danzo asked. Before the ninja could answer Danzo interrupted and said, "Never mind. We aren't granting protection for anyone who is not from Konoha. Send them away."

"Well Lord Hokage we can't," the ninja said. "We've been ordered to let them in."

"By who," Danzo said as he rose to his feet.

"By Captain Yamato and Haruno Sakura sir," the ninja said. "Both of them are with the group."

Danzo looked at Fu in shock and without hesitation both swept past the ninja and left the room.

_******Meanwhile – At the Residence of Tsunade******_

"What," Tsunade yelled in surprise as she heard the words from the messenger. Tsunade looked at Ino who was standing nearby. Without another word they rushed out of the house.

By the time they'd arrived at the main gate a large crowd had formed. Tsunade and Ino quickly pushed their way through the crowd. Just ahead they could hear the voices of Kotetsu and Izumo as they argued with a woman. A woman with a very familiar voice.

As they finally got through the crowd, Ino and Tsunade stood in amazement as they saw Izumo and Kotetsu arguing with Sakura. "What do you mean you can't let us in," Sakura asked angrily. "I'm giving you an order!"

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan," Kotetsu said. "We can let you and Yamato-san in but we have orders not to let in those refugees."

"Sakura," Tsunade yelled with tears in her eyes as she and Ino ran up to her.

"Lady Tsunade, Ino" Sakura said with a smile as all three women embarrassed. Ino and Tsunade cried out of joy for Sakura's return.

After a few minutes they separated and Tsunade said, "Where have you been? We thought you had been killed."

"I almost was," Sakura said. "If not for Yamato and Anko I would have died. But I can explain everything later. I'm just glad Konoha is still standing. We had run across a large airship that was coming this way. How did you guys bring it down?"

Tsunade and Ino then looked at each other and Sakura could see the sudden look of sadness on their face. "We didn't," Ino said. "Lee was the one who stopped it. He did it all by himself."

"He did," Sakura said excitedly. "Damn! I always knew that guy was strong! This is incredible! Where is he? I bet he's in the hospital. When we have a second I need to go there and congratulate him!"

"Sakura," Tsunade said. Sakura looked to Tsunade and could see the pain in her eyes. And seeing that pain, Sakura knew, even before the words left Tsunade's mouth.

"I'm sorry Sakura," Tsunade said. "But Rock Lee…is dead."

_******Meanwhile – At an undisclosed location******_

The ninja strode quickly down the long, torch lit hallway as he headed for his leaders room. Despite himself he couldn't help but feel the growing excitement growing within him. For the past two years he and his comrades had lived their lives in hiding as they prepared and trained for the day when they would be needed. Outside of gathering supplies and recruiting more ninja, this cave had been his entire world. But now, they not he carried in his hand signified that this may all now change.

The ninja arrived at his leaders' quarters and knocked. "Come in," his leader said and the ninja slowly opened the door. The ninja saw his leader sitting at a desk in the sparsely furnished room. As usual, when she wasn't training with her men or planning strategies, she could be found here reading about many topics of both military and philosophical importance.

"Forgive the intrusion my lady," the ninja said. "But we just received a note from him. It came via a messenger toad."

The leader turned in her seat and faced the ninja. She held out her hand and said, "Come."

The ninja quickly crossed the room and handed the note to his leader who silently read the note showing no hint of surprise or excitement at all. Once done she placed the note on her desk and turned back to her books. "Inform the men that the time we have been training for is now upon us," she said. "I want them ready to move out in three hours."

"Yes," the ninja said excitedly as he walked to the door. "May I ask where our destination is?"

"Our destination is Konoha," she replied without looking back.

The ninja suddenly felt all the air leave his lungs. "Yes," he said. "Of course. We'll be ready to go in no time Lady ArashiKage."

End of Chapter Thirteen

Next Time: Tears of Rain


	14. Tears of Rain

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I like to begin by stating that I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

Thanks to all who reviewed my last chapter: airnaruto45; theshrewedshrew; Sasuke K; GreedO3114; GravenImage; FoxSage19; XDarkness; tosakuai; Anonymous - Stalker; RunningLion; Silver Senpai; goldone5; Kushina's Truth Of Hell; WarChicken; charles cdv; Diamond Man.

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**RESPONCES**

**airnaruto45 **- Lol! Ok Latin class is over then my friend. Wanna try french next? I'm really good at french!

theshrewedshrew - Naruto is in a tough spot. Of course he would have loved to save Lee. But the Great Toads vision was too vague and it was clear he had to do something for the greater good and have faith in his friends. Believe me, there are several more twists to come in this story involving Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke and yes Danzo **and Kabuto** to come. Things are going to get worse before it gets better my friend.

**Sasuke K** - You'll see. Naruto is going to reach a whole new level of power.

**Greedo3114** - Well, it can;t be all action all the time can it? That would get a bit dull pretty fast. Don't worry, things will get interesting soon again.

**GravenImage** - Yes, my friend Lee is in fact dead. And the proof will come in this chapter.

**FoxSage19** - Thanx.

**xDarkness** - Are you related to iiDarkness BTW?

Cliff Hangers are what I do Darkness-san! Always leave 'em wanting more as I always say! Yeah, Naruto calling him "geezer" is meant to be just as endearing as how he calls Tsunade "granny" and Jiraiya "Ero-senin". Lee's death, though sad, was IMO a glorious one befitting such a character. And believe me when I say he has become a legend in Konoha and will never be forgotten. As for that chapter I was having a few issues writing it. So i left it incomplete and went on writing other chapters. During my vacation I came back and finished it. so that what i meant by needing that time to finish it. And yes, thanks to all of you I have indeed eclipsed 200 reviews for the first time!

**tosokuai** - Thanx. That's the greatest compliment a writer could get.

**A. Stalker** - First off, your name is Anonymous-stalker? Really? I'm not even gonna touch that one. Lol! Well, there are only 5 confirmed Kage's...so far. But it seems a **New Country** has a Kage now. And she calls herself the **Arashi**kage! Now I wonder what **Arashi **means in Japanese?

**RunningLion **- Who indeed...LMAO!

**Silver Senpai** - Glad you're enjoying it.

**Goldone5** - Glad you liked the chapter. Naruto isn't as clueless in my story as in the canon. Here he's older and having been on his own for the last 3 years has had to learn not only how to survive while being hunted, but the thrive and out wit his enemies. And with the help of a few allies he has indeed planned for certain things.

Yes Lee will be missed. And you will see how his loss has affected those who cared about him. It's very interesting that you bring up Sasuke. Soon Sasuke will be back to take the spotlight once again. Lol!

**Kushina's **- Your friend? What friend are you talking about I wonder? Now you have peeked my interest.

Sakura will be taking center stage soon. In a few chapters I'll be showing you the state of things in Konoha as they head into a massive earth changing war. One hint: Things...are...not good. Lol!

**WarChicken** - Thanx my feathery freind. And a new update is here. Just for you.

**charles cdv** - Thanx.

**Diamond Man** - Thanx. I'll try to keep it up.

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**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Alright guys. So here is chapter...what is this...fourteen?...yep...here's chapter fourteen of Book III. I hope you enjoy and **please** take the time and send me a **review** so I can read what you think of my work. I'm actually personally proud of this chapter for several reasons and I hope it strikes the same cord with you guy emotionally as you read it asit did for me writing it. Thanx!

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XIV: Tears of Rain

_******Konoha Cemetary – Morning******_

The red sun came up behind the mountainside and cast an eerie haze over the Konoha as the large group of mourners stood before the fresh grave. Nearly everyone in Konoha it seemed, had come to celebrate the life and mourn the death of one of their own. A hero who had made the ultimate sacrifice and single handedly stopped what would have surely been a disastrous blow to Konoha.

TenTen stood in the front of the crowd, her face streaked with the remnants of fallen tears. Looking around she could see the agonized faces of her friends. At the front stood Choji, who seemed nearly inconsolable; Hinata was there, as well as Shino, Sakura, Kiba, Lady Tsunade, Iruka, Konohamaru and everyone else.

Standing by the grave facing everyone stood Guy, who despite the heavy burden had chosen to give the eulogy. Guy spoke about Lee's strength of will, his desire to be the best he could be despite his short comings. And above all, his willingness to go the extra mile for Konoha.

_For Konoha_, she thought as she listened to his words. Looking at her hands TenTen looked at the neat scroll in her hands and rolled it in her fingers. It was at that point she realized that Lee hadn't done this for Konoha. When the decision was made it wasn't made for their benefit. No. TenTen knew in her heart that at that moment, when Lee thought about it, he asked himself one question: What….would Naruto do?

At that moment the answer was obvious; so too was the decision. So Lee did what was necessary to save the ones he cared about because Naruto would have done the same. In her heart she knew that was it. And why wouldn't she know? Who knew him better than her?

For years they had been comrades. At first, she found him to be an annoying, hyperactive idiot who never considered his actions before doing anything. He wasn't like Neji. He wasn't gifted. He wasn't cool. He was just annoying.

But it wasn't after she got to know him that she got to see the real Rock Lee. She got to see his heart, his dedication and passion. Not just his passion to become strong. But his passion for life. No one lived life to the fullest like Rock Lee. He taught her what true dedication was. He taught her what it meant to give it your all more than even Guy-sensei ever could.

TenTen remembered fondly all the days after training when she, Lee and Neji were beyond exhausted. Neji would limp home, ready to relax while Lee would often spend an hour lying in the grass unable to move. Then to her surprise, he'd pull himself up and begin to train some more.

She would look on as though he was insane. She thought he wouldn't stop until he had killed himself. Yet despite it all she would remain and watch. And when he couldn't go anymore, when Lee would simply collapse unable to carry his own weight, she would be there to take care of him. And each time he would simply look up to her and smile. Despite it all, he never had any regrets. And it was then she realized how much she admired him. And in time wanted to be like him.

So when Guy and Neji would end their training for the day, Lee and TenTen would stay behind, rest for a bit, and train together again, sometimes late into the night.

It was on one such night, about a year and a half ago, they were training together when everything changed. While training near a secluded river TenTen slipped and rolled down the low hill and into the water. Lee ran towards where she fell in and before he could leap in after her she came out of the water. She looked at Lee who was simply staring at her, his mouth open in amazement. Apparently the wraps for her buns in her hair had fallen out as she fell and her hair was open and failing around her shoulders.

Lee continued to stare in amazement. But he should have been prepared because TenTen leapt at him with a high kick, striking him in the head and knocked him out cold. The next thing Lee remembered were his eyes opening to the sight of swaying trees, glittering stars and the big bright moon. "Are you alright," TenTen said.

Hearing her voice Lee then realized that his head was resting on her lap as she looked down upon him with a smile. "I'm sorry for hitting you like that," she said. 'I didn't realize you weren't prepared for it. Are you ok? Lee?"

For a moment Lee just looked at her face in silence before a smile crept along his face. "Yeah," he said as he closed his eyes. "Do you mind if I just rest here for a while TenTen?"

TenTen swept a stray hair from Lee's face and said, "Sure." As she sat she could feel the gentle rise and fall of Lee's chest as he breathed and the light beating of his heart. She looked at his face as the moonlight fell down upon it and it was then she admitted to herself, that somewhere along the line, she'd fallen in love.

But things didn't get easier from there, far from it. TenTen, upon deciding on her feelings, made every effort to be alone with Lee, to tell him how she felt. But suddenly Lee's attitude changed. He would find every excuse to leave when it seemed she wanted to talk. Their solo training sessions became tense and increasingly short. And whenever she asked him to lunch he would stutter as he came up with a nonsensical excuse before running away.

TenTen confided her feelings to Ino, the only girl who seemed to have some semblance of a relationship with Neji, and she told her not to give up. "Some boys just take longer than others to grow up," Ino said.

"Even Neji," TenTen asked.

"Especially Neji," Ino said with a giggle. "He still reads children's manga."

"What," TenTen said in shock. "No way! I've never seen…."

Ino nodded. "He has a big stack of them and every month he sneaks to the shop to by new ones when he thinks no one will see him. And not only that, but the manga he reads are Shojo style. Then he runs home like a kid with a new toy and reads his books in secret. It's soooo adorable!"

TenTen and Ino laughed and just then Neji walked up the path. "Hey girls," he said. "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing babe," Ino said as she hugged him. She then looked at TenTen and winked at her and said, "TenTen and I were just having a little talk."

So TenTen struggled on as she tried to drop every hint she could hoping Lee would get it. But it still wasn't working and eventually she was reaching the point where she was ready to give up when she arrived home one day. It was the day before Lee was to head out with Neji and Kiba on their doomed mission. Her mother handed her a note and said Lee had stopped by and left it for her.

Opening it she saw it was a request to meet Lee by the river that night. TenTen tried not to be too excited but she couldn't help it, she felt so happy she could sing. She quickly bathed and got dressed in her nicest kimono. It was blue with flowery patterns and long sleeves. She then hurried out of the house and arrived at the river ten minutes early.

A few minutes later Lee arrived just as the sun was setting. As he saw her standing there he was speechless. Eventually as he walked up to her he said, "Wow, TenTen, you look…..I mean you are…..y-you look great."

TenTen blushed from the compliment and said, "Thanks Lee. You look nice too." Lee took a deep nervous breath and just stared at her with a bright smile. "Well," TenTen asked. "You asked me out here. What do you want Lee?"

For a moment Lee seemed unable to formulate the words he had no doubt practiced endlessly. He then reached into his pocket and removed a small scroll with a red ribbon around it. "Umm," Lee said nervously, "Well….it's just that….you see….well I have this mission to go on tomorrow with Neji and Kiba."

"You do," TenTen asked. "Where?"

"Out near the borders," Lee said. "It's no big deal really. We just have to see determine enemy movements in the area. We should be back in no time. But….you see…..I j-just thought that I should tell you. Or…..ummm….maybe rather show you how I…"

Just then Guy walked onto the path. "There you are Lee," Guy said. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Hello TenTen, You look nice tonight. Is there a party or something later?"

"Hello Guy-sensei," TenTen said as she looked to Guy then back to Lee. "No. I just felt like dressing up a bit today."

"Well you look lovely," Guy said. "Anyway Lee, Neji and Kiba are looking for you. You three need to go over the plans for your mission."

"Can it wait a bit sensei," Lee asked.

"No Lee it has to be now," Guy said. "You know what I say about preparing for missions are in itself a form of training. They need you now."

Lee sighed and said, "Right." He then looked to TenTen and said, "I guess we can talk when I get back?"

"Ok," she said sadly. TenTen then looked at the scroll Lee had in his hands and asked, 'Is that for me?"

"Oh," Lee said nervously as he blushed. "Well…uhhh…sure….but maybe I should give this to you when we get back. Ok?"

"Ok," she said with a smile. "Bye Lee."

With a smile Lee said, "Good bye, Tenten. I'll be back soon."

_******Konoha Cemetery – Now******_

TenTen stood as she listened to Lady Tsunade as she recalled her first meeting with Lee. She spoke of the determination in his eyes as he told her that despite her diagnosis he would indeed be a shinobi again. She spoke of the weeks of terrible rehab where everyday would end with someone carrying Lee, passed out from training, back to his bed to rest.

That was the type of guy he was, no regrets, no holding back, all or nothing. TenTen again looked at the scroll in her hand and recalled when she finally received it.

_******Konoha – Four Days Ago******_

TenTen looked up in shock at the sight of the large green dragon as it roared with such ferocity every building in the village shook. Then, it began to fade and seemed to fade with the breeze. "What was that Guy-sensei," TenTen asked. She then looked and saw Guy with tears in his eyes looking up into the sky.

"Guy-sensei," TenTen asked as she struggled to understand what was wrong. She looked in his face and saw it etched with pain and sorrow. She hadn't seen Guy like this since he was told of Kakashi's death. TenTen then noticed Lady Tsunade had walked up behind them and placed her hands on Guy's shoulders for comfort. She too looked on the verge of tears. "I don't understand," TenTen said. "What's going on?"

"That dragon," Tsunade explained, as her voice began to crack. "It's called the Twilight Dragon or the Dragon of the Celestial Gates. It's a technique that can only be used when someone unlocks all Eight Celestial Gates within the body. It then multiplies your chakra, strength, stamina, speed and power tenfold and takes this power and unleashes it in one un-blockable, unstoppable attack which takes the form of a dragon. And besides Guy, there is only one other person who could possibly use it."

TenTen's eyes grew wide as she turned and looked up into the sky where the Dragon once was. A single tear, the first of many, ran down her cheek. "But," she said, "If someone opens all Eight Gates they would….."

For TenTen the next hour was like a bad dream for as she followed a distraught Guy and Tsunade as they traveled along with a large group of shinobi and medical ninja to the crash site. As they got closer and closer she could see wreckage from the ship scattered about. Many trees were cracked and broken and there were several small fires that people were busy putting out. There were scattered bodies and body parts everywhere and the distinct odor of burnt flesh.

As they neared the center of the blast TenTen saw medical ninja scattered about, searching the remains for any sign of life. Judging by their body language you could see they didn't expect to find any. TenTen then saw Neji, sitting bare-chested on a large stone boulder from the ship. She could see the scars that covered his chest, back and arms. Ino was seated behind him, using her abilities to heal him as best she could. She looked into Neji's face but he turned away. He couldn't even look at her.

Kiba and Akamaru were both lying on stretchers nearby as medical ninja's examined Kiba's injuries and his sister tended to Akamaru's. As she looked around she couldn't see any sign of where Lee might be. Then they heard a medical ninja yell, "Over here! We found him!"

TenTen, Guy and Tsunade along with a few more medical ninja's ran over to where the ninja was calling. Just as they ran to the spot everyone stopped in their tracks. There he was, lying perfectly still atop a mountain of rubble was Lee. Even from a distance you could see his body was severely damaged with signs of fresh wounds everywhere. Tsunade, let go of a grieving Guy and walked up towards the mountain of rubble as several ninja climbed up and gently lowered Lee down.

Tsunade quickly touched Lee's neck and could feel no pulse. Using her abilities her hand began to glow and she touched her chest. Within seconds she knew it was too late. Sadly she got to her feet and walked over to Guy and TenTen and said, "I'm sorry. There's nothing we can do."

TenTen slowly approached Lee's body. _He looks so peaceful_, she thought as she saw him. Yes, his body was damaged, but his face remained pristine. He even had a little smile. "No regrets Lee," she whispered as she began to cry. "Even now."

She wasn't really sure how long she was there. But eventually she heard someone walk up behind her. Looking back she saw it was Neji, being helped by Ino. His face was blank, without a sign of sadness or grief. He stretched out his hand abruptly and she saw he had a scroll in his hand. "He wanted me to give you this," Lee said flatly. After she took it Neji looked up at Lee and then turned and limped away.

TenTen looked at the scroll and rolled it in her hands and then looked to Lee's face. "Wait," she said. "His forehead protector. He kept it around his waist like a belt. Where is it?"

A nearby medical ninja shook his head and said, "I don't know. It must have fallen off during his fight or something. If we find it we'll let you know."

But they never did. Lee's body was moved to the medical ward as was Kiba, Neji and Akamaru. For the next few days the rubble was cleared away. Neji informed them that there should have been a person by the name of Muramasa. He was supposedly the new host of the Two Tails and the one Lee was fighting. But no sign of Muramasa was ever found.

******Konoha Cemetary – Now******

The last words had been said. The last bouquet of flowers lain. The last tears shed. TenTen stood solemnly staring at the fresh grave as the last of the mourners walked away. Sakura had come to her a few minutes ago and asked if there was anything she could do. There wasn't. TenTen thanked her and asked if she could be alone.

Finally alone, TenTen decided it was the right time and slowly removed the red ribbon from the scroll and opened it.

_Dear TenTen,_

_I know things have been a little strange with us lately and I'm sorry._

_The truth is I like you a lot but I've never been good with words._

_You're smart, beautiful, energetic and funny. And your one hell of a sparing partner._

_But every time I've wanted to tell you in person I just get so nervous that all I can do is run away._

_Look, I know I'm not as cool as Neji or as smart as Shikamaru or even as gifted as Naruto._

_But I know in my heart, that if you gave me a chance I would make you happier than anyone else._

_If you read this and don't feel the same then I'll understand and I'll do everything not to let this affect our friendship._

_But if you feel the same I promise you that I will do everything in my power to never make you cry. To always make you smile and to care for you for the rest of our lives. Because…..I love you._

_ Love, Rock Lee. _

Tear drops began to fall on the scroll as TenTen pressed it to her breast. She began to cry and scream as she fell to her knees lost in her pain.

_******Later that day******_

TenTen sat in a booth surrounded by her friends. Everyone ate in general silence, saying a few words here and there but mostly remaining silent. TenTen sat in front of her plate and stared at it dejectedly. Looking around she saw the familiar faces of her friends as they did their best to look happy in an effort to cheer her up.

"You have to eat something," Sakura said as she watched TenTen continue to play with her food.

"I know," she said. "But it's just so hard you know." TenTen looked about and saw Kiba sitting nearby. Despite all the pain she knew he was in Kiba made the effort to go to the funeral and come to the restaurant. Kiba, now wearing an eye patch to cover the hole where his left eye once sat, still smiled the best he could.

"Kiba," TenTen said. "Thanks for coming, but maybe you should head back to the hospital and rest."

"Nonsense," Kiba said as he waved her off. "I feel like I have to be here."

"Where's Neji," she asked. "I didn't see him or Ino at the funeral. And they're not here now."

The smile on Kiba's face quickly faded as he began to look troubled. "I asked Neji to come to the funeral but he declined," Kiba said. "He said the sacrifice Lee made was nothing more than what is expected of each of us. So to pay special attention to the death of a ninja during a war where we all may die is foolish and brings nothing but unnecessary grief."

TenTen and the others sat looking at Kiba in shock and sadness. "Wow," Choji said, "I knew the guy could be cold at times but this is too much. Lee was his best friend."

"Maybe the shock of what happened was too much for him," Hinata said.

"Even so, Lee was his best friend," Shino said. "Why would he say something like that?"

"That's what I asked him," Kiba said. "Neji said, Lee spent his entire life training so that one day he could defeat Neji. Neji said Lee wasn't his friend. At best they were comrades. But most likely they were just rivals."

Suddenly TenTen slammed her hand on the table, rattling her plate of food and causing the room to go silent. Without a word she rose from the table and left. Hinata called her name but TenTen ignored her as she exited the restaurant and marched towards the hospital.

_That bastard_, she thought as she walked through the streets. _How could you do this to him Neji? Don't you realize that everything he did was all because Lee looked up to you! You stupid son of a bitch!_

TenTen walked into the hospital and up to Neji's room and slammed open the door. To her surprise it was empty. TenTen saw a medic walking by and stopped him. "Excuse me," she said. "I'm looking for Neji Hyuga. He's supposed to be in this room."

The medic thought for a minute and then she said, "Oh, I believe Ino-chan escorted Neji-kun out for some fresh air."

TenTen quickly walked out of the hospital and began to look around the village hoping to find them. After about twenty minutes TenTen made her way to the river where she and her team would train and there he was. Neji's back was turned to her and he was looking up into the sky.

_So he was here_, she thought. _He's here taking it easy and getting fresh air as his friends mourn the death of the person who's supposed to be his best friend!_

TenTen marched towards Neji, unsure if she would be able to control herself. But before she could say anything Neji spoke. "Why are you here TenTen? You should go back and be with your friends."

"Why am I here," TenTen asked. "Why are you? I can't believe you could be so cold Neji! He was your friend!" TenTen began to walk towards Neji when she felt someone's hand on her chest. It was Ino, who was standing next to her staring at Neji in silence, preventing her from moving forward. TenTen was so angry she hadn't even noticed Ino had been standing there.

"You know TenTen," Neji said. "This is really an unfair world isn't it? He pushed himself just to prove he was better than me. To prove that hard work alone was enough to become a superior ninja. And I always believed he was wrong. And I mocked him for it. But in the end, the dumb bastard was right. But he's not even around now to enjoy it."

TenTen stared at Neji as he merely looked off at the flowing water in the river. "It's like those fish over there," he said. "They're forced to live their lives having to swim upstream just to find food to survive. They always have to fight against the current merely to live. And the only time they get to enjoy moving with the current is in the few moments they have just before they die."

Despite herself, all the anger seemed to flow out of TenTen as she watched Neji. She looked to Ino and saw tears running down her cheek and fought not to cry herself. It was then she noticed that Neji had something in his right hand. _That's Lee's Leaf belt_, she thought. _Neji, you must have taken it. _

Neji gripped it tight in his hand and looked back at TenTen. His eyes were reddened from tears and he had a small smile on his lips and said, "It's as if this world is designed to mock our very existence don't you think?"

Neji then looked back to the river. "I mean look at how beautiful the weather has been lately. And yet today, of all days it rains. It's as if the rain itself is here to remind us of our pain and revel in our tears."

TenTen looked up at the bright cloudless sky in confusion. "But," she said, "It's not raining." It was then she saw drips of water falling at Neji's feet.

"Oh yes it is TenTen," Neji said as his voice began to crack. "Can't you see the rain?"

Seeing this finally caused TenTen to cry and Ino then hugged her as she too cried. "Yes," TenTen said. "It is raining too much out here. Come on Neji, let's get you inside."

End of Chapter Fourteen

Next Time: Shikamaru's Gambit


	15. Shikamaru's Gambit

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I begin by saying that I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

Thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Bobert4242; Diamond Man; Greedo3114; airnaruto45; RunningLion; Gravenimage; xDARKNESS; Ren Shiekaru; Kushina's Truth of Hell; charles cdv; Anonymous-stalker; goldone5; Bluesummers2012; NaruSaku29 and Exor.

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**RESPONCES**

**Bobert4242** - Damn, that was a beautiful review. Maybe you should be the one writing this story. It's the dream of every author to illicit those feelings from a reader and I am honored that I was able to strike the proper respinces from so many. Again, there wasa reason I said I was especially proud of this chapter and I'm glad it seems to have worked out.

**Diamond Man** - Glad you liked it. I wanted it to be a real testiment to what Lee meant to them as a freind and I'm glad it worked out.

**Greedo3114** - Lol! Don't worry, I'll get back to the action soon enough.

**airnaruto45** - Lol. Why am i not surprised that you would the one to call me out on that one. TBH, I couldn't help it. Everytime I thought of the scene I wanted to create the FMA scene kept coming back to me. So I decided to use a bit of...shall we say...creative freedom. Lol.

**RunningLion** - Yes. In terms of showing you the evolution of the LeeTen relationship I knew i had to give a bit of background so that you could understand her feelings and her loss a bit better. I think I did well in you liked the scene I knew that i had to end this chapter with Neji and taking his character somewhere we rarely see. As for what he meant he was refering to the rain within his soul. To him it was not a beautiful day. There were storm clouds and in the end his tears was the rain. Thus the title of the chapter: Tears of Rain.

**GravenImage **- Were you really? Well, I'm glad I could pull such emotion out of you with my work. Naruto will give his thoughts on Lee in time and he already knows she's alive.

**xDARKNESS** - Ok, glad to know you're still around reading. TBH, I wanted this story to be more than just about the action or meaningless surface emotions. I wanted this story to really examine what drives these characters and how the events around them affect each of them.

**Ren Shiekaru** - Thanx.

**Kushina's** - Now I must know who they are! Please if you are one of Kushina's friends please let me know who you are! There's a fresh brownie in it for ya! Lol!

**charles cdv **- Thanx.

**FoxSage19** - What is Shikamaru going to pull? Well, you're about to find out.

**Anonymous** - Well, no real action in this chapter either. But it's coming.

**goldone5** - Lol! Well, I'm glad that my chapter got to you emotionally. Well, yes it kinda annoys me when Naruto is consistantly portrayed as a bit of an idiot. I mean if he's going to be Hokage then I think it makes sense for him to get smarter.

Lol! I know how you feel about Sasuke. But his story is a necessary element of the story. Sakura as well. And i have big plans for them both.

**Bluesummers2012** - Yes. So now i think everyone understands just what Lee sacrificed to do what was right. He was a hero in the truest sense of the word. i think Neji had to have the final say as it were in the loss of Lee and his speech was really a reflection of the lives they are all forced to live as ninja in a violent world. And in a way, how many of us live.

**Narusaku29** - Well, one of the things I try to focus on is improving my writing style from chapter to chapter and taking what I think didn't work and improving upon it.

Does Naruto and Sakura still love eachother? Well, let me ask you: Has something I wrote made you feel that they don't? Lol!. I know it's been a while since they've been together in this story. but there is a reason for that. Sometimes two people must grow strong as indiviuals before they can be a strong couple. So they will see eachother in time. I promise.

**Exor** - Well, wait no longer. i know I usually release this chapter really early on a Sunday. But TBH, I was out parting the night before and I was well...sleeping of the alchohol...sorry. Lol!

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**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Ok, so here is chapter fifteen. Hope you enjoy. Also, due to the need to do a bit of research, next week there will be no new chapter. Sorry guys. So **please** remember to **review** this latest chapter and I'll be back on Sunday, November 7th. PEACE OUT!

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XV: Shikamaru's Gambit

_******Mount Myoboku – Night******_

Naruto was lying down on top a large mushroom with his hands folded behind his head and his eyes closed. A light rain washed over him as Naruto relaxed. It was one of the few times he's been able to relax in the last few months.

As Naruto found himself in the strange state of semi sleep, his mind wandered as it always did to pleasant days from times that seemed a forever ago. He thought of those happy times with Sakura and Sasuke. When things were simple and all he had to worry about was learning another jutsu.

He recalled his times with Jiraiya-sensi, during his two years of training. He recalled all the adventures they had, both for Naruto's training and Jiraiya's….research…for his next book.

He thought of the few times he and Sakura had together. When they didn't have to worry about the next enemy around the corner. A time when they could just be friends and talk. He recalled his times with his other friends as well. He thought of Lee. He thought of Lee's smile and laughter, and his optimism and wild behavior.

He thought of Kirabi-sensei. Was he still alive? Was he hurt? Life really wasn't fair was it? Why was it that the good ones always had to suffer? Why does it seem like it always costs a person more to protect than to destroy?

Why is it that good people like Kakashi-sensei, Jiraiya, Killer Bee, Minato, Kushina, the Third and Lee must die when a man like Madara Uchiha was free to walk the earth? It was then Naruto's mind wandered as it always did to the vision Madara had given him that night.

He could recall standing on the lake in the Valley of the End. He could see Madara before him speaking, he could see the large demonic beast taking shape before them as the sky turned black. And most importantly, he could feel the fear. The type of fear one feels when you look into the depths of pure evil that threatens to consume you. Every time the vision was the same.

_Wait_, Naruto thought as his eyes suddenly sprang open. For a while he merely sat up and stared out in deep thought. Then a smile came to his face. _Madara you're arrogance might have cost you this time_, he thought.

Just then Shima hopped onto the mushroom and said, "Hello Naruto-boy."

"Hello Granny-Toad," Naruto said. "What brings you here?"

"I just wanted to see if you needed help," Shima said. Shima then looked around the area. There were small craters everywhere and many of the trees and plants in the area were damaged. "But perhaps I should be more concerned with the land."

"Sorry Granny Toad," Naruto said with a smile. "But this training of mine can't be avoided." Suddenly Naruto had an idea and said, "But you know there is something you can do for me. You wouldn't be able to get a celestial calendar would you?"

"Hmmm," Shima said as she thought about it. "Yes! That old man has a one. I can bring it too you right away."

"Thank you Granny Toad," Naruto said as he got to his feet. Shima then leapt off of the mushroom and left leaving Naruto once again alone. Naruto then stretched as he closed his eyes as the light rain poured down upon him. He then stood still for a moment and then, after a few minutes his eyes flew open and his Sage Chakra was now activated.

Naruto quickly made several hand signs and yelled, "Thousand clone Jutsu!" In a massive puff f white smoke a thousand clones appeared all around him and they all, along with the original Naruto, began to glow bright red. "Alright," Naruto yelled. "Break time is over! Time to get back to work!"

_******Kirigakure – Hidden Cave beneath the Office of the Mizukage******_

Killer Bee's body landed on the ground with a sickening thud. His eyes were closed and his body had already begun to go cold. Standing above him, each on one of the on stone fingertips was the members of the new Akatsuki: Madara, Sasuke, Zetsu, Kisame, Karin, Suigetsu and Jugo.

"Whew," Kisame said as the group looked on. "That damned beast took forever to seal away. The Eight Tails was truly impressive!"

"It was only a problem because we had to first absorb the Two Tails again," Zetsu said. "And let's not forget that our boy Sasuke here is still new at synchronizing with Gedo Mazo."

"Not to mention that that damned Sato went and got himself killed by Chojiro of all people," Kisame said with disgust. "He should have been here to help with this shit."

"True," Madara said. "But all things considered things have still gone quite well." Madara then looked over to Sasuke, who was doubled over and breathing heavily. There were numerous chakra rods embedded in his back and his face was covered in sweat and Madara could see the pain in his eyes. Karin was next to him, doing whatever she could to comfort him.

Madara laughed lightly and said, "Alright everyone. Go and rest up. I'll contact you all once we're ready for the next phase."

Madara then leapt down and walked to the exit with Zetsu trailing behind him. "It would appear Sasuke is holding up far better than expected my Lord," Zetsu said.

"Indeed," Madara said. "Not only was he able to withstand the synchronization but he was then able to go forward with the sealing of not just the Eight but the Two Tails as well. And unlike Nagato, the synchronization hasn't affected his body."

"Is that because of the Sharingan," Zetsu asked. "Partly yes," Madara said. "As an Uchiha, Sasuke shares a direct bloodline with the Rikudo Sennin himself. So unlike Nagato, Sasuke's body can better withstand the pressure such a technique places on you. But even still, I think the reason he's holding up so well has to do with Sasuke himself. His hate fuels him. It drives him to maintain. Sasuke will persevere though to the bitter end. Of this I have no doubt. And once Sasuke is back on his feet our next target will be the Nine Tails."

_******Meanwhile******_

Sasuke spat up blood as he was on his knees doubled over in pain. Kneeling next to him was Karin, who had an agonized look on her face. Suigetsu and Jugo were standing nearby, waiting to see if there was anything they could do.

"Sasuke," Karin said. But before she could continue her sentence, Sasuke waived her off.

"It's alright Karin," he said. "It's just as they said. This is my first time doing this. I'll be fine once I get some rest."

Karin stared at Sasuke in silence and then to Jugo and Suigetsu. The looks on their faces all the same and the silent communication between them was an acknowledgment of understanding. Sasuke was lying. This was far more than just his body not being used to the power drain. This thing, this Gedo Mazo that towered before them ominously, was killing Sasuke. And he knew it. He was willingly giving himself to this thing to achieve his goal. And there was nothing they could do to stop him. Their options were to support Sasuke, or get out of his way.

So they did the only thing they could. "Jugo, Suigetsu, could you please," Karin asked as she stepped away. Suigetsu and Jugo walked towards Sasuke then suddenly stopped in their tracks in amazement.

Sasuke raised his head and they could see the Rinnegan fading from his eyes. Even the grey tint was disappearing, leaving only his Mangekyo Sharingan, which also deactivated. And then to their added surprise, the chakra rods embedded in his back began to move out of his back as if being pulled out by an invisible force.

As the rods fell out Karin quickly ran to inspect the wounds they had left behind only to see that they were healing before her very eyes. "What," she said in shock. "What's happening to you Sasuke?" It was then she noticed that Sasuke had passed out.

Karin then signaled to Jugo and Suigetsu who helped lift Sasuke and put him on Jugo's back. Jugo and Suigetsu then headed towards the exit leaving Karin alone under Gedo Mazo. Karin looked up at the menacing statue and clenched her fist in anger and frustration. Karin then looked away in disgust. And it was then that she finally admitted something to herself, something deep down she had always known.

She had always hoped that when everything was over, when Sasuke had finally found his revenge that they could finally find time for happiness. She followed Sasuke, in the hope that when it was over, they could find peace. She was tired of fighting, tired of the darkness they lived in. But now, seeing all this, she knew. That whether Sasuke achieved his goals or not, one way or another, Sasuke was headed towards a horrible end. The only question now was whether she was willing to follow.

******Meanwhile – KumoGakure******

The streets within the village were desolate as Gaara, Shikamaru, Baki, Temari and Kankuro were escorted towards the office of the Raikage. Shikamaru looked about trying to find any trace of movement yet could find none. Either all the citizens were well trained in staying out of sight or they had been all moved to a safe house somewhere.

_Is this because of the war_, Shikamaru thought. _Or is this because we're here? _Shikamaru looked at the two dozen ninja that surrounded them as they continued their silent walk towards the Raikage's office. He couldn't help but think that this was more like a funeral procession.

To be honest, Shikamaru was surprised that it was so fairly easy to get this far. The day after Naruto left, Gaara rerouted a small portion of his army to Kumogakure. He then sent a request via messenger bird to meet with the Raikage in private. To his surprise, the request was granted under the strict provisions that the Raikage meet only with the Kazekage and one body guard. And it must be done within Kumo.

Of course Temari and Kankuro objected. But Gaara insisted that he had to meet with the Raikage, and if this was the only way, then so be it.

Gaara, along with Kankuro, Temari, Baki and Shikamaru left immediately and rendezvoused with the small platoon of ninja Gaara had on standby and they traveled to the Land of Lightning. As soon as they reached the border they were met by a large military force. The lead Cloud Ninja instructed them that Gaara would be allowed to go on with a group of four. The rest would be detained here.

So Gaara set out from the border with both his brother, sister, Shikamaru and Baki. As they made their way through the Land of Lightning Shikamaru and the others saw larger and larger groups of Cloud Ninja as many of them set up mini camps and seemed engrossed in preparing for battle.

Now they were here, in what once was a vibrant community that now appeared to be a ghost town. Finally the group arrived near the Raikage's office when their escorts all stopped. The lead ninja then turned to them and said, "This is as far as you are permitted to go. The Raikage has ordered that only the Kazekage may enter his office."

"No way," Kankuro said. "There's no way we're going to let Gaara go up there alone!"

"That's right," Temari yelled. "Either we all go or no deal!"

Gaara then raised his hand to silence his siblings and said, "No. We came here to establish peace between our villages. If such a small sacrifice is needed to get it done then so be it."

"No way Gaara," Baki said. "If our Kazekage is going to go up there then I demand that I go with him."

The lead ninja looked at Baki's cold stare and relented. He nodded for both of them to follow him as they entered the building. After a few minutes, Gaara and Baki found themselves in front of the large door leading to the Raikage's office. The lead ninja knocked once and heard the Raikage say, "Enter!"

The door opened and the ninja gestured for Gaara and Baki to enter. As they walked in the door slammed shut behind them and Gaara and Baki found themselves face to face with the Raikage, sitting behind his large desk. He was flanked on either side by Omoi and Karui.

Gaara looked around and saw all the weaponry and armor lying about the room. "So we meet at last little Kazekage," the Raikage said with a hint of spite. "Forgive me if I am not the most hospitable but I'm not afforded much time. You insisted on seeing me so let's get on with it. What do you want?"

"Very well," Gaara said. "I've come to request that you join Suna and Konoha in an alliance to defeat Akatsuki."

The Raikage stared at Gaara with a look of surprise and then burst out in raucous laughter. "Damn," he said after he composed himself. "I thought I was prepared for what you were going to say but this is the height of arrogance. You really think I'm that stupid?"

"I assure you this is no joke Raikage," Gaara said coldly.

"Enough," the Raikage yelled. "You expect me to believe that out of no where you decide to end our war and pull back your troops and then turn around and request an alliance? Impossible! I think it's more likely you hoped I would lower my guard so that you could defeat me!"

"That's idiotic," Gaara said.

"Is it really," the Raikage asked as he looked at Gaara with a sly smile.

Gaara stared at the Raikage for a moment and then asked, "Well if this is what you believe then why did you agree to meet with me?"

The Raikage got to his feet and walked around his desk and stood in front of Gaara and Baki, towering over the two men. "I did it for two reasons," he said. "I wanted to see if you were truly so arrogant as to think you could do such a thing. And, if you were, I didn't want to pass up the chance to defeat the Kazekage once and for all!"

Suddenly the Raikage rushed towards Gaara and Baki and before they could defend themselves he punched Baki in the chest and all Gaara could do was look on in horror as Baki's chest caved in and he was launched back into the wall. His dead body crumpled to the floor.

"Now it's just you and me Kazekage," the Raikage said. "And don't concern yourselves with your comrades. By now my men have engaged them in battle and will soon kill them as well."

Suddenly the Raikage looked at Baki's body and was shocked to see it turn to sand and fall into a heap. "What," he said. "That was a clone?"

"Actually yes," Gaara said. And as he spoke the Raikage saw Garra's face and body begin to crack and fall away piece by piece like a broken egg. As the last pieces fell away the Raikage realized all too late that he had been tricked. The person before him was not the Kazekage. And looking at his forehead protector strapped to his arm, this man wasn't even from Suna. The man before him was tall, with jet black hair, stud earrings and was in fact from Konoha.

"Who are you," the Raikage yelled.

"Sorry for the little trick," the man said. "But I think it's plainly obvious that it was necessary to do so. The name is Nara Shikamaru, from Konohagakure."

It was then the Raikage heard a voice coming from behind him. To the surprise of Omoi, Karui and the Raikage, Gaara stood standing on a floating platform of sand outside. His arms were folded and he stared at them angrily. "Tell me Raikage," he said. "Are you ready to talk now?"

End of Chapter Fifteen

Next Time: Alliance


	16. Alliance

_**INTRODUCTION**_

Welcome back to the Chronicles. As always I begin by stating I do not own Naruto.

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_**THANK YOU**_

I want to thank all those who reviewed my previous chapter: Exor; Gravenimage; calc; xDARKNESS; InARealpickle; Diamond Man; airnaruto45; theshrewedshrew; RunningLion; DRAGON-HEIR1; FoxSage19; Kushina's Truth of Hell; goldone5; NARUSAKU29; Ren Nakuhiko ShieKaru and Raptor2001.

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_**RESPONCES**_

**Exor** - Well, thank you for the praise my friend. And I hope your anticipation remains high.

**Gravenimage** - Yeah, sorry about the short chapter. I'll try to avoid that as best I can.

**calc **- Thanx.

**xDARKNESS** - Things in the manag are heating up again as the war is about to begin. I found many readers are upset with Kishi's use of Edo Tensei however. But i find no issue with it. As for my story the action will return in due time. But as I head to the final act certain things must be set up first.

**InARealPickle** - Thanks for the catch. I'll change it soon.

**Diamond Man** - We'll be checking in with Sasuke soon. And as for Naruto I'll be leaving some bread crumbs for you to follow as to what he's up to. I'm sure you'll be quite surprised.

**airnaruto45** - Lol! Life on the wild side my friend.

**theshrewedshrew** - Yes, the two tails was the only one...for now. Hehe! Glad you like the progression of the story.

**RunningLion** - More than Lost? I doubt that highly. but thanks. I'm trying my best to keep you guys guessing. personally I'm really enjoying writing Shikamaru. He's really a complex character that can be so many things yet all be canon. Neji vs Madara? Not a bad matchup but Neji would get crushed. Why would you want to see that fight?

**DRAGON-HEIR1** - Thanx. And yes, RIP Lee.

**Foxsage19** - thanx. Sorry about the length.

**Kushina's** - Glad you had such a good day. BTW, who are those friends you were talking about again. HI FRIENDS OF KUSHINA-CHAN!

**goldone5** - No one would love getting a billion reviews more than me. But I'm happy with what i've been getting. Thanks for whatever publicity you give me. As for the story, Sasuke has a tough road ahead and even tougher decisions to make. you'll see, i have another few twists in store for him.

**NaruSaku29** - thanx for the compliment. You really should give writing a try if you have the passion. BTW, the name of the Raikage is A not E. Lol. As for if this will be the final Book of my story...the answer is...stay tuned.

**Ren Nakuhiko** - Thanx.

**Raptor2001** - Glad you've been enjoying the story. Lee,unfortunately had to die IMO. But his sacrifice will not be in vain and he died in the best way I felt for such a character. The fall of Danzo is something that will come in due time but other important things need to happen first. As for Sakura and her return. Sakura felt she had to make sure the captives were protected and the best way she could do that was to bring them to konoha. But there will be repercussions for that decision as well. Sai will be shown soon as well. He too has a part to play.

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**_MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR_**

Ok, so after a brief one week hiatus I'm back. I hope you enjoy the chapter and please remember to review this chapter. Thanks.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XVI: Alliance

_******Mt. Myoboku******_

Naruto landed hard on his back and rolled several feet, finally coming to stop as he slammed into a tree. Clearly in pain and gasping for breath he opened his eyes to see several clones, all in Sage mode standing at the ready to continue their fight. "Don't tell me you're done already," one of the clones said.

"Yeah," said another clone. "I thought you wanted to get stronger. You can't do that if you're on your back! Get the fuck up you lazy peace of shit!"

Naruto grinned widely as he got to one knee. "You guys are really lucky I'm fighting without using my Sage Chakra," Naruto said.

"You won't get any sympathy from us," a clone responded. "You're the one who decided to give us all Sage Chakra."

Naruto laughed as he wiped the blood from his lip. "You're right. Fighting twelve Sage chakra powered clones of myself isn't fair at all." Suddenly Naruto's body began to glow bright red and the ground around him began to shake as pieces of rock broke free and began to float around him.

Naruto screamed as more and more power flooded out of him forcing his clones to shield their eyes. And a cyclone of wind began to spin around his body, growing higher into the sky and suddenly blasted it out in all directions breaking nearby trees.

As the wind died down Naruto looked at his right hand and clenched it. "One against twelve isn't fair at all," he said as he looked at his clones. "Next time, I'll have to make more of you." Naruto then leapt towards his clones, ready to fight.

_******Kumogamkure – Outside the office of the Raikage******_

Temari, Shikamaru and Kankuro stood by as they watched Gaara and Baki disappear into the doorway. As they stood waiting in silence Temari couldn't help but feel the eyes of all of the guards upon them. It was likely that they were all instructed to be as accommodating as possible. But there was also another order as well no doubt; one that put all the guards on edge and caused the air to be thick with tension. It was as if they were all perched on the head of a needle and the slightest misstep would mean disaster.

"Am I the only one who thinks this is all going to go to shit," Temari whispered to Kankuro and Shikamaru.

"Of course I do," Kankuro said. "It always seems to go bad when Naruto is involved. I just hope Shikamaru knows what he's doing."

"Don't worry," Shikamaru said. "He's one of the smartest people around. And I have little doubt things will work out."

Just then the three of them heard a birds call from a bit of a distance away and they each looked at each other. "Strange," Kanakuro said. "That bird call seemed a little out of place for area don't you all think?" Shikamaru smiled and said, "Don't be ridiculous. I think you're just a bit too on edge." Yet at the same time Shikamaru could see the small imperceptible movements of the guards around him. They were slowly getting into an attack position around them.

"But you know come to think of it," Temari said as she pretended not to notice what was happening around her. "That bird sounded like a vulture. They tend to make that noise when they circle their prey."

Kankuro nonchalantly placed his hand on his waist and asked, "And just who do you think is the prey?"

Just then they heard the bird call again and all the guards around them drew their weapons and closed in. With a smile Temari said, "The prey…..is them." Quickly Temari stomped on the floor and a large fan blasted through the ground. She quickly opened it and blocked the first attack of one of the guards. She then swung the fan creating a blast of wind that knocked several of them away.

Kankuro's hand was by his waist, but what no one hand noticed was the fact his fingers were touching several nearly invisible strings. Kankuro pulled on them and two small puppets, about the size of a doll that could fit in his palm, crept out of his clothes. With a few pulls of the strings the puppets launched into the air and fired several poison tipped needles striking several ninja and knocking them out cold.

Shikamaru stood perfectly still, with his arms crossed. As several ninja closed in they were shocked to see sand begin to rise from the ground around him it appeared his clothes began to turn to sand revealing that the person before them was in fact Gaara. Before they could react the sand flew out in all directions entering the mouths and noses of all the guards. The sand began to clog all their air passageways and each ninja began to pass out.

The sand then flew back and attached itself to his back and took the shape of the gourd he normally carries. "Alright Gaara," Kankuro said, "You head on up to speak to the Raikage. We'll hold off the other ninja who show up."

"Right," Gaara said as he created a sand platform under his feet and floated up to the top floor of the building. As he floated up to the top floor Gaara looked through the large bay windows. He had arrived just in time to witness the Raikage punch his sand clone of Ibaki into the wall. Seeing enough, Gaara decided to end his little ruse. _Release_, he thought silently and watched as his clone turned into a pile of sand and the sand armor he had placed around Shikamaru and made to look like himself, began to break apart and turn to sand.

The Raikage, realizing the deception turned and saw Gaara standing outside his window and glared at him. "So," he said. "Konoha and Suna have teamed to bring us down? You will find us not so easy to dispose of."

"Damn you Raikage," Gaara said. "To this point the only one acting with any hostility is you. If you were to listen you'd realize we've come to talk not fight."

"I'm not sure we should trust him my Lord," Omoi said as he remained ready to attack.

"I didn't come here to gain your trust," Gaara said. "All we need is your cooperation. The fact of the matter is even if we were to attempt to assassinate you, we are woefully outnumbered and in the heart of your territory. So you see you lose nothing by hearing us out."

The Raikage stared at Gaara for a moment and then said, "Alright. I'll listen. And then, depending on what you say, perhaps I'll decide to kill you anyway."

Gaara floated near the window sill and stepped off his platform. The platform then turned to sand and went back into his gourd along with the sand scattered about the room. He then walked over to a seat in front of the Raikage's desk and sat down while the Raikage sat in his own chair. Omoi and Karui remained standing on either side of him while Shikamaru began to walk about casually looking at the paintings and items in the Raikage's office.

"Ok," he said. "So talk. Why are you here? And why are you working with Konoha?"

"I'm not so much officially working with Konoha," Gaara said. "It's more like I'm working with certain individuals of Konoha."

"So Danzo is unaware of these actions," the Raikage asked.

"Correct," Gaara replied.

The Raikage leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "So what are you after," he asked.

"As you know, Akatsuki has become a threat to us all," Gaara said. "And we have recently learned that they were the ones behind the death of our emissary. And through the use of inside traitors have engineered this war. And we have reason to believe they are operating out of Kirigakure."

The Raikage closed his eyes as if in deep thought. He then said, "We already know all of that."

Gaara and Shikamaru looked at the Raikage with a bit of shock. Shikamaru was in the middle of looking at a statue and put it back down. He then saw a pile of armor and weapons lying on the floor behind a large wooden cabinet. He then began to look around again.

"You knew," Gaara asked. "Then why did you continue this pointless war?"

"We only learned the truth recently ourselves," The Raikage said. "About a week ago a member of Akatsuki kidnapped my brother, the Eight Tails Jinchuriki. We were able to learn that this agent must have passed through the area Iwagakure is currently operating from." Gaara could see the fury rising in the Raikage as he spoke. He knew he had to tread carefully at this point any misstep could be disastrous.

"My condolences for your loss," Gaara said as contritely as he could.

"We don't need your pity," Karui yelled angrily. "Kirabi-sensei is alive! There's no way they could take him down so easily!"

"Is that why you plan to throw your lives away like a bunch of idiots," Shikamaru said as he placed a small statue back on the table and walked over to the group.

"What was that," Omoi said angrily as he began to walk around the desk towards Shikamaru.

"Omoi, Settle down!" The Raikage yelled. Omoi stopped in his tracks and glared at Shikamaru who simply smiled.

"You know I've heard of you Nara Shikamaru," the Raikage said.

"You have," Shikamaru asked. He was shocked that the Raikage had so easily recognized him.

"Yes," the Raikage responded. "Nara Shikamaru, nineteen years old. Son of Nara Shikaku. Former pupil of Sarutobi Asuma, deceased. Assistant head-master of the Chunin Exams. Considered one of the youngest military and political geniuses Konoha has ever had. And if I'm correct, you've also been approached seven times by the Fire Daimyo to join his Guardian Corps. The last time he offered you the position he even went so far as to offer to promote you directly to one of his Twelve Guardians if you agreed. But you've so far declined each time."

Shikamaru laughed slightly and said, "You're information gathering is quite impeccable Lord Raikage."

"Which leads me to wonder why someone as smart as you would do something so stupid as to insult me to my face in my home," the Raikage said angrily. "Do not think for a minute that I have not considered that your death would be a significant blow to Konoha."

"Not to mention a significant blow to my prospects of retirement," Shikamaru said with a smile. "Never the less I still think what you're planning is idiotic."

"And how would you know what we're planning," Karui asked angrily.

"Well that's fairly simple actually," Shikamaru said. "When we arrived I noticed all of your men separated into small groups and they were preparing their gear for what appeared to be a long military operation. Obviously they were going somewhere. When we arrived in the village I noticed that all your civilians were gone. Most likely you had them moved to a safe zone where a smaller group of men could protect them easier, which confirmed my theory that you were planning to send out most of your army."

"Wherever you're sending them you obviously plan to go with them because all of your armor and gear are lying in a pile behind that cabinet over there," Shikamaru said. "Now, where could you be going that you wouldn't want us to know about? Simple. At first I thought you were planning to take this battle straight to Iwagakure who are still positioned at your borders. But Iwagakure isn't your main target. Because sitting on your desk are documents detailing the military strengths of Kirigakure. This means you plan to march your army directly to Madara's doorstep."

The Raikage shook his head slightly and inhaled deeply. "You really are better than they say," he said. "Very good."

"Unfortunately this proves just how idiotic you're being," Shikamaru said. "Madara's forces number over a hundred thousand while you barely have over twenty. Also, to get to Madara you'd first have to go through Iwagakure. And even if you were to win, it would reduce your forces even more and exhaust your men. By the time you got to Kiri you'd all just be slaughtered."

"So what do you expect us to do," Omoi yelled. "Those bastards kidnapped our sensei! The Raikage's brother! We can't let them get away with that!"

The Raikage raised his hand to silence Omoi. "Omoi is right," the Raikage said. Shikamaru and Gaara could see the rage boiling just under his surface. They could see he could explode at any moment. "Those motherfuckers think they could just come in here and take my brother and get away! No! I will have my revenge!"

"How does committing suicide get you your revenge," Gaara asked. "Shikamaru's right. You'd all be killed before you could even see Madara's face."

The Raikage slammed his fist on the table causing the legs to shatter and table to collapse. Gaara sat perfectly still as if unfazed by the Raikage's sudden move. "Those bastards kidnapped and killed Yugito Nii," the Raikage said, "Lured us into a false war that caused the deaths of many of my men and have taken my brother! And I will have my vengeance! What would either of you know about how I feel!"

"Oh I know that feeling well," Shikamaru said. Everyone looked at him and the Raikage could see darkness in his expression. It was if at that moment a kinship between the two was found. "To have that type of lust for vengeance," Shikamaru said. "To see someone you care for taken from you right before your eyes. The feeling of helplessness. The lust for vengeance consumes you and forces your hand even when you know you shouldn't. I know it well. But what point is getting revenge if you don't survive to enjoy it?"

"Sometimes such a sacrifice is necessary," the Raikage said.

"What if we had another way," Gaara asked. "What if we could help you achieve your revenge without the placing the future of your entire village in jeopardy?"

The Raikage stared at Shikamaru for a minute and could see a hidden anger in him. It was if Shikamaru was transported to another time and place. To the very source of his loss. It was clear that Shikamaru indeed understood his desire for vengeance. Eventually the Raikage turned to Gaara and said, "I'm listening."

_******Meanwhile – KiriGakure – Office of the Mizukage******_

"What," Madara exclaimed as he stood up from his chair. "Are you sure Zetsu?"

"Unfortunately I am Lord Madara," Zetsu said. "Haruno Sakura is indeed alive. She returned several days ago and has been seen by many people within the village."

Madara slammed both fists into the table and stared down. His entire body was tense and fists tight. _Damn_, he thought. _I was right there with Sasuke. She was practically dead and there was no way she could survived the collapse of an entire mountain. Damn! I should have delivered the final blow myself!_

"Forgive me Lord but I am confused," Zetsu said. "I've studied her abilities and even though she is an accomplished medic her ninja skills shouldn't be a major problem for us. What about her would cause you the least bit of concern?"

"It's not her ninja or medical skills that concern me Zetsu," Madara said. "It's her Kekkei Genkai that concerns me."

"Kekkei Genkai," Zetsu asked. "But she has no…"

Before Zetsu could finish Madara said, "Yes she does. Only it has not been classified as such yet only because she is the first mutation. As you know, a Kekkei Genkai is a mutation that happens with a particular person and then can be passed down through bloodline that persons bloodline. But for this to happen there must be the original mutation. She is the original mutation of a new Kekkei Genkai. In fact she has already begun to use her ability but doesn't know it. I wanted her out of the way before she could master it."

"What is that," Zetsu asked.

"Her ability to nullify any genjutsu once it's been used on her is only an aspect of her power," Madara said. "And even that would cause enough problems. My plan is to use the power of the Ten Tails to project the Mangekyo Sharingan on the moon and create an Ultimate Tsukuyomi. But with her ability not only could she be unaffected by the technique, she could release others from it as well."

"How did you know this," Zetsu said.

"I must tell you Zetsu," Madara said. "When I learned of who Tsunade's apprentice was I decided to keep track of her. And when I learned of her unique ability I was even more intrigued. That night in Kumo, when Sasuke and Naruto fought I was also there as well. And I observed her from a distance. And with my Sharingan I was able to see the truth of her abilities."

"I see," Zetsu responded. "So how do we deal with her?"

For a while Madara remained silent and then began to giggle, which turned into light laughter and finally raucous amusement. Finally he stopped and said, "You know Zetsu, a wise man once said that the larger a mans' ambition the greater the trials he must face to achieve his goal. And my ambition is larger than anything this world has ever seen."

Madara turned to look out the window. His hands were folded behind him as he remained in deep thought. "Her survival is only temporary," he said. "She, just as the Nine Tails, will fall at my feet in due time. Even now Sasuke rests and will soon be ready. And once he is….Konoha shall fall."

_******Kumogakure – Office of the Raikage******_

"Impossible," Karui said as she, Omoi and the Raikage looked at Shikamaru and Gaara with shock. "Doing something like that is pure madness! That would put my Naruto-kun in incredible danger!"

Omoi crossed his arms, closed his eyes and shook his head disapprovingly. "Naruto has always been a brave guy," Omoi said. "But he can't be serious about this. I can't tell you how many ways this could go wrong."

"They have a point," the Raikage said. "You preach about not throwing your life away for revenge. Yet you are willing to sacrifice your own comrade for the same goal."

"Not at all," Gaara said. "Naruto is well aware of the risks. In fact, this plan was his."

The Raikage laughed. "Now that makes sense," he said. "My brother did say the brat was a bit out of his mind."

"I don't care whose idea this is," Karui yelled. "There's no way we can let this happen!"

"Karui, Omoi, please leave us," the Raikage said.

"But," Karui said as she attempted to protest.

"Now," the Raikage said sternly.

Reluctantly Omoi and Karui left the room in silence leaving the three alone. "Does this mean you trust us," Gaara asked.

"No," the Raikage said. "It just means I was tired of hearing their voices. Now let me see if I understand this. Naruto plans on returning to Konoha and letting everyone know his location which hopefully includes Madara. And because he is the last Jinchuriki, you believe Madara will definitely come after him."

"Where the armies of Konoha and Suna will be waiting," Shikamaru said.

"And Kumo if you agree," Gaara said. "For too long all we've been able to do is react to Madara's plans. And often times when we do it is already too late. Madara has stayed one step ahead. But by doing this we can dictate where he will be and can strike at him with the full force at our disposal."

"But if you fail he will have the Nine Tails, the ability to destroy us all at once and the power to rule this world," the Raikage said.

"Yet if we continue as we are Madara may get Naruto anyway and all will be lost," Gaara replied.

"This is a risk we will have to take," Shikamaru said. "And it is a risk Naruto is prepared for."

The Raikage thought about it for moment and said, "Then Kumo will help you. However, we still have the issue of Iwagakure to deal with."

"Oh, that will be no problem at all," Shikamaru said. "I already know how to handle them."

"How so," the Raikage asked.

With a devious smile Shikamaru asked, "Tell me Lord Raikage, how good are your acting skills?"

End of Chapter Sixteen

Next Time: Assault on Iwagakure


	17. Assault on Iwagakure

_**INTRODUCTION**_

Welcome back to the End of Innocence. As always I like to begin by stating that I do not own Naruto.

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_**THANK YOU**_

A special thanks to all those who reviewed my previous chapter: FoxSage19; Gravenimage; xDARKNESS; airnaruto45; The FlyingLion; Diamond Man; charles cdv; Kushina's Truth of Hell; PJ Hatake; Mudcake; Exor and goldone5.

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_**RESPONCES**_

**FoxSage19** - Thanx. Sakura has a role to play just as many others. hopefully you'll like what i do with her.

**Gravenimage** - Thanx. i hope you like his little plan that i cooked up for him.

**xDARKNESS **- I hope you like what I do with Shikamaru in this chapter. I was off the week prior as it was Holloween in the states so fear not I don't plan to die any time soon. I agree that the manga is starting to get back on track and I hope Kishi will keep it up.

**airnaruto45** - You'll see.

**The FlyingLion** - Maybe. But Madara is waaay to strong. It would be complete pwning.

**Diamond Man** - Thanx DM.

**charles cdv** - Thanx.

**Kushina's **- So are you saying my last few chapters haven't been good? Lol! Anyway, your review didn't suck and I hope you love how I handle things.

**PJ Hatake** - Nah, I had a little interest in law but I'm a marketing major. I'm just using the bits and pieces I've learned from the many mystery books and movies that I've come across to craft some of my story. Hope i can create good enough chapters to keep your reviewing my friend.

**Mudcake** - I hope you think so once her KG is revealed. I have an interesting idea for it and I hope it works. Sakura will have a bigger role quite soon.

**Exor **- Glad you liked the chapter. Something tells me that Sakura may get some new skills soon in the manga. But perhaps that's just my blind optimism.

**Goldone5** - So your first review was longer than this? Hah! Sorry to hear that. You should write your work on a blank work page and then paste it. that may work better. My inspiration for Shikamaru is part Sherlock Holmes and part Jack Sparrow with his usual laziness sprinkled in. lol! Seriously that's how I see the character. I'm really having fun writing him.

So you think you've figured out Naruto's plan huh? We'll see. I will admit that his plan...well, it's the biggest most ambitious thing I've ever attempted to write. i look forward to seeing if I can make it work. We'll see if it doesn't dissapoint.

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**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Well, here is chapter seventeen. I hope you enjoy. So you know I will not be releasing a chapter during Thankgiving Day weekend. Which means I will release a chapter next week and then there will be no new chapter the week after. Thanks. So please remember to review this chapter.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XVII: Assault on Iwagakure

Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, stood in the center of his large private tent. Before him was a large oak table with a large map of the Land of Lightning before him. He was, as he'd been doing for quite some time, studying the landscape for any weaknesses he could exploit. For the most part things had gone quite well for him. With Kumogakure engrossed in a conflict with both Konoha and Suna, they were ill prepared for Iwagakure's attack and they were able to deliver a decisive opening blow against them.

Things began to turn against them for a while once the Eight Tails Host appeared and began to assault there squads. The bastard was able to defeat four entire battalions within a day and if things kept going that way, Onoki himself who have had to intervene.

Luckily it never came to that because as Madara promised, a member of Akatsuki, the man called Kisame Hoshigaki, arrived to deal with the Eight Tails. Onoki had an eerie feeling when around this man Kisame. Death followed him like a cherished lover and the stench of death permeated the air when Kisame was around.

Onoki willingly allowed Kisame to pass through into the Land of Lightning and as promised, Kisame returned a few days later carrying the weakened body of the Eight Tailed Host called Killer Bee. Onoki offered to allow Kisame time to rest but Kisame declined, stating he had no time for such things and he moved on.

Most likely Kisame knew better than to trust a man like Onoki who likely would have used the opportunity to take the Eight Tails for his own. And the thought had occurred to him many times. But in the end Onoki thought better of it and allowed Kisame to leave without incident. His next mission was now to hold Kumogakure and not allow them to pursue Killer Bee's kidnapper.

In an effort to do so Onoki stepped up his strategic raids on Kumo and it kept them off balance. Things were going well until Sunagakure suddenly called for an unexpected truce with Kumo and Konoha. With Suna no longer in this war Kumo would soon be able to commit more troops to deal with them so Onoki decided the time was right for an all out assault.

Onoki was pouring over maps and information when Kurotsuchi stepped inside the tent. She seemed very excited and quickly bent to one knee. "Lord Tsuchikage," she said. "We've just received a message directly from the Raikage."

Onoki bristled and looked at Kurotsuchi and said, "Knowing that overconfident bastard he's sending a demand to stand down our forces or be destroyed."

"Actually it's just the opposite," Kurotsuchi said, "It's a letter acknowledging their complete surrender."

"What," Onoki said as he slowly shuffled over to retrieve the letter. He quickly read it twice before looking up at his grand daughter with a puzzled look. Onoki then turned and shuffled over to a nearby seat and slowly lowered himself down. "Ahhh," he said as he rubbed his lower back. "War is tough on these old bones."

He then looked at the letter again before looking up and seemed to be in deep thought. After a moment he said, "According to this letter the Raikage claims that his war with Suna and Konoha severely depleted his force. He's also freely admitting that the Eight Tailed Host has been kidnapped and he knows I'm planning a large scale invasion. He wants to protect his people and is willing to surrender if we were willing to spare his people."

Kurotsuchi got to her feet and said, "So you have finally gotten what you wanted. Unless, you think this is just a trick."

"Under normal circumstances I would think it was," Onoki said as he ran his hand through his beard. "But the people of Kumogakure have never been known for their guile and trickery. They find such tactics distasteful. No one more so than the Forth Raikage who's more the heavy hammer type." Onoki once again began to read the letter. "It says here that he is willing to meet with me in a neutral site of my choosing to work out the terms of their surrender," he said.

"So what do you think," Kurotsuchi asked.

Onoki took a deep breath and looked at his grand daughter out of the corner of his eye. Despite her best efforts to conceal her true feelings, Onoki could sense the growing animosity she had for him in her tone and mannerisms. Ever since she had learned that he had sided with Akatsuki things had changed between them. Where once they were fairly close, now there was distance.

"Send word to the Raikage that I will agree to meet with him at dawn tomorrow," Onoki said. "And prepare two battalions of our strongest to accompany me to the location I shall choose. If the Raikage has suddenly become so desperate that he would try to trick me tomorrow, it will be his last attempt."

******Land of Lightning – Dawn, the Next Day******

The sun was lazily rising behind the low mountains as Onoki, Kurotsuchi, Akatsuchi and a large battalion of Iwagakure ninja stood as they looked off into the distance. They had arrived about twenty minutes ago and Onoki hadn't wasted any time in sending a battalion into the mountains to hide in case this was indeed some type of trap.

Eventually, through the early morning haze they could see a small group slowly making their way towards them. The Raikage took the lead as a small group, consisting of Karui, Omoi about a dozen of his strongest ninja followed behind him.

Soon the group arrived and the Raikage and Tsuchikage stood staring at each other face to face. A warm breeze blew as dust spun between the two as they silently took stock of the other. "Long time no see old man," the Raikage said. "I see age hasn't dulled your sense of ambition."

"One must seize an opportunity when it presents itself A," Onoki said with a smirk. "Age is not an excuse for inaction in these times. And look what it has gotten me. I must say, I am surprised. I never figured you for the type to surrender anything. I expected I'd have to burn your village to the ground with you in it. But I guess it's true what they say, even a stubborn dog knows when it's bested."

The Raikage clenched his fist and gritted his teeth in an effort to quell his rage. _Keep talking you senile old fool_, he thought. _When this day is done we'll see who is laughing._

******Meanwhile – In a place beyond human comprehension******

Shikamaru was on his knees, his body clenched as he fought to maintain his concentration. His brain was on fire with pain as he fought to maintain the technique. He had never tried anything on this level before and he felt as if his brain was going to explode at any minute.

Standing behind him were several figures covered in shadow. One of them, a female, placed her hand on his shoulder. "Please just try to hold on for a little longer Shikamaru," she said. "We just need to wait for the signal and then we can move."

One of the shadowy figures behind them looked around and shuddered. "Damn this place is scary," he said. Looking around nothing could be seen outside but the empty blackness that seemed to stretch out to infinity. "I always thought your mind was the real thing about you to worry over Shikamaru. To be honest I never considered your abilities to be that worrisome. But this….this is down right terrifying. When did you learn to even do this?'

Shikamaru slowly opened his eyes; he was drenched in sweat and labored to breath. He felt like his body could give out at any moment. He then said, "No….offense…but this….is kinda….hard to do. So….could you…..shut the fuck up please!" Just then a small bit of blood trickled from his nose. _Gaara better hurry this up_, he thought.

******Meanwhile – In the mountains above the meeting place******

Kaori, the lead ninja of the battalion the Tsuchikage ordered to hide in the mountains was crouched in the bushes. Crouched next to him was his lieutenant as they carefully observed the meeting below. Kaori was a middle aged, grey haired man. He had been a general within the Iwagakure military for a decade and his experience spanned three decades and several wars. There was nothing he wasn't prepared for.

As soon as his battalion arrived in the mountainside, with a few movements of his hand he silently signaled his men where to place themselves and without question they all scattered hiding in the trees and bushes, waiting for their leader to signal them.

The lieutenant stared anxiously as both Kages continued to speak. "What is Lord Tsuchikage waiting for," he asked in a low whisper. "We've already received word that the Raikage didn't bring his army with him. All he has is that small group of ninja to protect him. If he gave us the signal we could easily take them and then Kumogakure would be ours."

Kaori continued to look at the meeting, analyzing everything trying to see anything that indicated a trap. Yet there was nothing. Not the slightest movement. "Perhaps Lord Tsuchikage wants to end this diplomatically," Kaori responded. "Not every war must end in a pool of blood."

Kaori continued to look around searching for any anomaly. He saw the breeze blow the leaves on the ground, trees and bushes and he felt the movement of the sand under his fingertips. Perhaps things would go smoothly after all. It was then a frightening realization slowly came to him as he looked down at his hand. The sand that was moving under his fingertips was moving against the wind, not with it.

Kaori's eyes grew wide as he watched the sand begin to rise, creeping over his body like fast rising water. He looked to his lieutenant and was horrified to see the sand had already completely engulfed his body. Only his face could be seen and Kaori stared in horror at the terrified look etched on his lieutenants' face as the sand covered the last of him.

Kaori turned in an attempt to pull free but there was no point, it was as if he was caught in glue. He began to panic and as he screamed he found his voice suddenly muffled as the sand poured into his mouth and a single tear ran from his eyes as he took his last look at the world and everything went black.

Perched in the trees above Kaori, one of the ninja saw the rustling in the bushes and saw Kaori's final, horrific moments as the sand consumed him and he immediately yelled to all the men, "Shit! Look alive, we're under attack!"

Just as he yelled this, he pulled a flare from his belt and fired it in the air while at the same time to his astonishment he realized the sand wasn't in just that one area, it was everywhere and began to move about as though a large serpent moved about underneath. Before he or any of the other members of the battalion could react the sand shot up high in the sky taking the form of massive columns that stretched higher than any tree in the area. And as the many ninja's began to leap around in a panic, frantically trying to find a way to escape the ninja in the tree remained frozen, knowing there was no time.

Suddenly the columns combined to form a wall that stretched around the entire perimeter to become a dome, encasing everyone within and then the sand came crashing down like a wave from all sides and all the ninja could do was scream as the sand buried them all.

A few meters in the sky, standing on a platform made of sand, was Gaara in deep concentration. Slowly he opened his eyes and raised his hand towards the carnage below and said, "Imperial Sand Burial." The earth below shook as shock waves flowed through the sand crushing the several hundred ninja encased within.

******Meanwhile******

Onoki looked up the mountain with shock as he saw the flare shoot up, followed by the large sand dome that then came crashing down on the entire area. With a look of pure rage he turned to the Raikage who know grinned like a cat about to catch its prey. Onoki didn't bother to waste time asking what happened. He didn't know how anyone from Kumo could learn such a technique, but it was clear that his entire battalion was dead and he had been tricked.

Seething with rage Onoki yelled, "Damn you A! You think you can defeat me! I'll have your head for this!" Onoki began to float as Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi also prepared for battle. At the same time the large battalion behind Onoki began to run towards them in the defense of their Kage. "Kill them," Onoki yelled at the Raikage and his small group. "I want all of there heads!"

******Meanwhile - In a place beyond human comprehension ******

Shikamaru remained kneeling in deep concentration. His entire body was shaking violently now as he fought to maintain the jutsu. Suddenly the entire area began to shake as if a massive earth quake had just hit. "That's it," the female yelled. "Shikamaru that was the signal! Release the jutsu!"

Shikamaru suddenly opened his eyes and said, "Release!" Within seconds all that was shadow returned to the light.

******Meanwhile******

Just as Onoki and his army was about to attack they saw something that caused them all to stopp in their tracks. Rising out of the shadows of every tree and bush and even from the shadow cast from the mountain itself, were several thousand ninja from both Kumogakure and Sunagakure, ready for battle.

The entire army of Iwagakure stood frozen in shock and that moment left an opening as the Suna / Kumo alliance instantly attacked without hesitation, cutting down several of the Iwa ninja before they could shake themselves free from the initial surprise.

Rising out of the shadow of a large willow tree was Shikamaru, Temari, Kankuro and several Suna ninja. As soon as they rose out of the shadow Shikamaru toppled over as his body began to go into convulsions. "Shikamaru," Temari yelled as she opened her large fan and drove into the ground to create a shield between them and the ever escalating battle happening around them.

"Shikamaru," she yelled as she pinned his shoulders to the ground to stop him from snapping his own back. "Damn," she yelled. "He held the jutsu too long! He pushed it beyond even his capabilities! Shikamaru!"

"Give me the needle with the medicine Kankuro," Temari yelled.

Kankuro pulled the needle out of his pocket and handed it to Temari who swiftly stuck it into Shikamaru's arm.

Suddenly Shikamaru stopped shaking and went limp. Temari stared at him in disbelief and for a second she began to assume the worst. She reached out to touch his cheek and said, "Shika…"

Suddenly Shikamru's hand flew up and caught hers just before she could touch him. It was cold and clammy but still full of vitality. Shikamaru's eyes opened slowly as he took deep breaths and he said, "I guess….Naruto…..isn't the only one…..to push things…too far sometimes huh?'

"Don't ever do that to me again," she said angrily as she quickly looked to Kankuro and yelled, "Kankuro you need to get Shikamaru out of here so he can rest!"

"Right," Kankuro replied as he picked Shikamaru up and slung him over his shoulder. He then turned and leapt away. Just then two Iwa ninja ran towards Temari who quickly pulled her fan out of the ground and kicked one of them in the stomach and used the fan to knock away the other.

******Meanwhile – In the heart of the battle******

Onoki blasted away several ninja and looked to Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi and yelled, "There are too many of them and they have us surrounded! We need to take to the air! Onoki quickly touched them both and they began to float. "Let's go," he said. "Once we're high enough I can pick off these bastards one by one!"

Just as they began to fly up in the sky, several large bodies of sand flew at each of them. Onoki quickly dodged one and then the other. "Shit," he said. "It's more of that sand that took out my men on the mountain! Whoever is controlling it is trying to keep us from flying!"

More and more blasts of sand began to fly around them, attacking from multiple sides as they desperately fought to avoid them. Finally one blast hit Akatsuchi causing him to yell out in pain and plummet back to the ground. "Akatsuchi," Kortsuchi yelled as she flew back down to him where he struggled to get up.

Just then two Suna ninja closed in on the fallen Akatsuchi when Kurotsuchi yelled, "Water Release: Water Trumpet!" A large jet spray of water shot from her mouth striking the ninja and knocking them away.

Confident that Akatsuchi would be fine, Onoki put his attention back to the sand swirling about him and again tried to ascend. Once more the sand attacked but this time Onoki was ready and said, "Earth Release: Aggravated Rock Technique!" Suddenly all the sand that struck Onoki was instantly turned to petrified stone and crumbled to the ground.

_Ok_, he thought. _First thing is I need to get rid of who ever the Raikage has using this sand technique. And considering that some of those ninja down there belong to Sunagakure I can only assume that person is…._

Just then Onoki looked up towards the sun and there, standing on a platform of sand, was his target. "There you are," he said. "You think you could just stand there and comfortably take me down you brat!"

Full of rage, Onoki flew directly towards Gaara and as he did so he realized that a large wall of sand had completely surrounded him and was extending as high into the sky as he himself was. But before Onoki could get to Gaara, the sand closed in forcing him to halt his advance sealing Onoki, his men and everyone else inside a large dome of sand that was near a half mile in diameter.

Onoki grinned. _Stupid brat_, he thought. _As if something like this could hold me._ Onoki took a deep breath, prepared to blast away the top of the dome when several arrows whizzed by, narrowly missing him. Looking down he saw the Raikage standing on a small bluff with several ninja with bow and arrows surrounding him.

The Raikage was pointing at him and glaring. "Fire again," he yelled over the sounds of battle all around him. "A thousand pieces of gold to the man who puts an arrow through his black heart!"

Again the archers fired at Onoki who took a deep breath and yelled, "Dust Release: Dust Wall!" Onoki blew out a large winding blast of dust that instantly pulverized the oncoming arrows to nothingness. As the dust disappeared Onoki stared at the Raikage who stood staring back. Slowly the Raikage raised his hand and signaled Onoki to come to him.

Onoki grimaced and then said, "Alright you bastard. This is been long over do! Today I finally rid the world of you! Earth Release: Piercing Nail Technique!" Onoki spat out a large amount of dirt that suddenly surrounded him and took the shape of a large spear with the sharpest end below him. The dirt then hardened to stone and plummeted towards the ground aimed directly at the bluff the Raikage was standing on.

The Raikage and his men scattered as the missile struck the bluff they were standing on pulverizing it into a pile of rubble leaving the area covered in a cloud of dust, rock and dirt. Somewhere in the center of the cloud was the large earthen missile, buried half way into the ground. The missile began to crack and shatter as Onoki stepped free from the remnants of his technique.

Floating in the center of the of the dust cloud, Onoki looked about him and then he heard the voice of the Raikage coming from somewhere just ahead of him. "I don't know why you joined sides with someone like Madara," the Raikage said. "And personally, I don't give a damn. This time you have gone too far. You threatened the safety and lives of my people. You have killed many of my men. And thanks to you, my own brother is now in the clutches of that madman."

Onoki tried to locate the Raikage but with the loud sounds of battle, death and killing all around him it was hard to place him. Suddenly the Raikage's fist pierced through the cloud of dust aimed at Onoki's head. Onoki quickly dodged and put more space between them.

"Tch," Onoki said as he clasped his hands together and then said, "Dust Release: Tiger's Claws!" Suddenly two claw shaped blades formed, each connected to his fists. He then screamed and spread out his arms and an unseen forced pushed away the entire dust cloud that was around him.

Onoki now floated above the shattered remains of the bluff he had destroyed. There were two broken and twisted bodies nearby. They were two of the Kumogakure archers near to the Raikage earlier who obviously weren't fast enough to dodge Onoki's attack.

All around Onoki could see his ninja locked in a battle to the death with the ninja of this new Suna and Kumo alliance. Suddenly Onoki went from being in a position of total control to being outnumbered, cornered and dare he say, even desperate. Even if he were able to somehow defeat the Raikage, the Kazekage still remained outside the ominous sand barrier that loomed over them.

As the last of the cloud blew away Onoki saw the Raikage standing amid the broken rocks, his body tense in the anticipation of what was to come. "Old man," he said. "As I've said, you've gone too far this time. I don't care about honor, right or wrong. I don't care what it takes or how far I have to go or what I have to sacrifice."

The Raikage began to walk towards the Tsuchikage and said, "Your long life ends today."

End of Chapter Seventeen

Next Time: The Fall of the Tsuchikage


	18. Fall of the Tsuchikage

_INTRODUCTION_

Welcome back the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I like to begin by stating i don't own Naruto.

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_THANK YOU_

Thank you to all the people who reviewed my previous chapter: stryker4narusaku; The FlyingLion; xDARKNESS; Gravenimage; Diamond Man; Kushina's Truth of Hell; NaruSaku29; goldone5; Nemrut; charles cdv.

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_RESPONCES_

**stryker** - No, Shikamaru still has more to do. So you will continue to see him in this story.

**The FlyingLion** - Ok...ummmm...thanks?

**xDARKNESS** - Thanx.

**Gravenimage** - Hmmm, well if you wait until the end to tell me your guess how will I know you didn't cheat if you end up right? Lol!

**Diamond Man** - Ugh terrible pun! Lol! But thanx. And if you like my action scenes you'll love this chapter.

**Kushina's **- Thanx.

**Narusaku29** - Glad you like what i've been doing with Shikamaru and the action scenes. Shikamaru is special not because of power but his mind and I wanted to highlight that in my fic.

As for advice I can only tell you to stick to your vision. If you start changing your story based on what "your readers want" your story will fail. Stay true to the tale you want to tell and you have a better chance of success. And always re-read your dialogue to make sure it makes sence. if you need any further advice send me a private message.

**goldone5** - Thanx for the review. Glad your a Shikamaru fan. That's an interesting theory you have there and we'll just have to wait and see if it's right. And you're writing is just fine.

**Nemrut **- Thanks for the review man. But i already responded to your review at OMF so there's no need to here.

**charles cdv** - Thanx dude.

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_MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR_

Thanks again for reading guys. Because next week will be Thanksgiving here in the states there will be no new chapter next weekend. A new chapter will be released on Sunday December 5th. So **please** remember to send me another **review** after reading. Thanx!

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XVIII: The Fall of the Tsuchikage

_******Kirigakure – Capital Building******_

"Damn, how long has he been asleep," Suigetsu said impatiently as he leaned against the wall in the hallway with his arms folded.

Sitting on the ground next to him was Jugo who was watching a little robin eat bits of grain out of his palm. "You should have more patience Suigetsu," Jugo said. "You saw Sasuke's condition afterwards. He looked worse than he did after our battle with the Eight Tail Jinchuriki. He needs his rest."

"Damn, don't go reminding me of that Jugo," Suigetsu said as he grimaced and clenched his fists. "It's bad enough that we failed to bring down that Bee ourselves. But instead of giving us another chance, Madara sent that bastard Kisame to do the job alone and he gets it done! I've been forced to listen to him gloat and look at his smug smile ever since!"

Suigetsu placed his hands behind his head and looked up at the ceiling. "Man I can't wait for this to be all over," he said. "Because once it is, the first thing I'm gonna do is carve that smile right off his face…slowly. And then Samehada will finally be mine."

"Is that all you ever think about," Jugo asked.

"I also think of sex," Suigetsu said with a smile. "Maybe I should go and visit that brothel again."

Jugo looked at Suigetsu blankly and then looked back to the bird and sighed heavily.

"You're being judgmental again Jugo," Suigetsu said.

"I didn't say a word," Jugo replied.

"You don't have to," Suigetsu said. "I've been around you long enough to tell when you're judging me. Don't act so high and mighty Jugo. I'm not the only one who thinks about that stuff ya know. Even Sasuke gets his from time o time."

Jugo looked at Suigetsu with a puzzled look. Suigetsu then bent down and had a wicked grin on his face. He whispered, "Oh you didn't know? Yeah, my room is right next to Sasuke's remember? Well, a few nights ago, it seems Karin finally got her hooks into him once and for all. Let's just say, she's a screamer. Hehehe!"

Jugo then looked back to his bird without so much as a surprised look on his face. "You really shouldn't talk about such things," he said.

Annoyed, Suigetsu stood up and again leaned on the wall with his hands behind his head. "Hmph," he said. "Not everyone is neutered like you Jugo."

"It's not that," Jugo said prompting Suigetsu to look down at him. "It's not that I have no interest. It's just that….it's best that I don't get excited."

"Hmmm," Suigetsu said, "I guess you might be right. No telling what you'd do to a lady if you lost control. And it's bad enough seeing what Kisame does to the prostitutes he brings here. You can't even recognize their bodies when he's done with them."

Just then the door directly across the hall opened and they could see the pitch black darkness within. After a few seconds Karin emerged with an emotionless look on her face.

"Well how is he," Suigetsu asked as Jugo got to his feet. Before Karin could speak Suigetsu got his answer as Sasuke appeared in the doorway. He appeared strong, healthy and his Mangekyo Sharingan was activated. Seeing him caused a smile to creep on Suigetsu's face. "Alright," he said. "It's almost time to have some fun."

_******Meanwhile – Mt. Myoboku******_

Lady Shima leapt up onto a large rock and looked around for Naruto. Shielding her eyes from the sun she saw his figure in the distance and made her way over. A few minutes later she cam to the edge of the cliff and looked out to see Naruto sitting perfectly still on a slab of flat slab of stone with his legs crossed. The stone slab was perfectly balanced on the needle-like peek of a mountain.

It was then to her amazement that behind Naruto where dozens upon dozens of clones, each sitting on their own slab of rock, balanced on an individual mountain peek. Each one, was in Sage mode and Shima could see the chakra emanating from each of them rise into the sky and combining into a large mass of chakra that spanned the entire area.

_Unbelievable_, Shima thought. _What is this? Naruto, what are planning to do?_

_******Meanwhile – Land of Lightning******_

Onoki watched as he remained ready for the Raikage's first attack. The Raikage slowly continued to walk towards Onoki and his entire body began to glow and surge with power. _Hmmm_, Onoki thought. _You really aren't playing around are you A. You've decided to use your Lightning Release Armor from the very start. Ok then. I guess I'll have to take things seriously as well._

Onoki then created several hand signs and said, "Dust Release: Silent Armor!" The Raikage suddenly felt a gust of wind coming from Onoki and stopped in his tracks.

_Silent Armor_, the Raikage thought. _Onoki covers himself in ultra sharp grains of dust so small they can't even be seen. If you get close enough he spins the dust like a mini tornado and you get sliced up. It's a nasty little technique._

Suddenly the Raikage took off running at Onoki. "If you think I care about that you're sadly mistaken," he yelled as he threw a punch.

Realizing the Raikage had no fear of the technique Onoki dodged the punch and swung his blade at the Raikage's neck. Using his increased speed the Raikage leapt back, just dodging Onoki's attack. Onoki stared at the Raikage as a small bit of blood trickled down his neck.

"That Armor of yours is really something A," Onoki said. "That last attack of mine should have cut off your head. Perhaps I'll have to rectify that the next time!" Onoki suddenly flew at the Raikage swinging his blades at him again and again forcing him back as he was cut over and over on his arms.

Finally the Raikage ducked under one of Onoki's swings and threw a punch directly at his chest. Before his attack could hit he felt an invisible force prevent his hit from landing and he screamed as his hand and arm began to get sliced up. The Raikage leapt away and grabbed his bloody hand. _Shit_, the Raikage thought. _The old man's Silent Armor is stronger than ever. That last one nearly cut through my hand even with my Armor. I need a new tactic._

The Raikage suddenly slammed his fists into the ground and pulled several boulders from the earth and threw them at Onoki at blinding speed. "Shit," Onoki yelled as he swiftly flew about dodging boulder after boulder. The Raikage was running about at such a pace that Onoki could barely track him as the Raikage continued to hurl large rocks at him.

Suddenly the Raikage appeared in the air above him with his hands clamped together ready to strike him with a massive double fisted hammer blow. _Damn_, Onkoi thought as he swung his swords up hoping to intercept the Raikage before the attack hit. The Raikage, seeing both of Onoki's blades aimed at his chest tried to dodge but was not quick enough and was sliced in half by Onoki's blades.

Suddenly the form of the Raikage transformed into electricity and ignited the blades in Onoki's hand with a blast of lightning, shocking Onoki and forcing him to disperse his blades. Onoki fell to his knees as the smoke rose from his slightly charred body.

Several yards away the Raikage's fist punched through the ground and he pulled himself free from the hole he had hidden himself in.

"Damn you," Onoki said as he grimaced in pain. "You running around and throwing those boulders was just a distraction while you created that lightning clone. I didn't think you were willing to use such deception."

"Like I said," the Raikage said as he began to walk towards the Tsuchikage. "Whatever it takes."

Onoki smiled and said, "You're still as cocky as ever. You really think a little shock is enough to take me down?" Onoki inhaled deeply just as the Raikage sprinted towards him. "Dust Release: Clouded World Technique!" Onoki then blew out tons of microscopic dust into the Raikage's face momentarily blurring his vision. However, the Raikage at that point didn't need to see and charged through the blast and grabbed Onoki by his neck.

The Raikage squeezed Onoki's neck tightly waiting to here that familiar snap of bone. But without warning Onoki's body suddenly began to harden and turned to granite. Before A could let go, the stone slab began to expend and wrap itself over his hand. As the slab quickly expanded A was unable to hold it up and it fell to the ground with a thud.

It was then A heard the laughter of Onoki. Turning he saw the old man floating a few feet behind him. "I told you that you were being to cocky," he said with a smile.

The Raikage turned and tried to pull himself free from the slowly expanding granite slab as it continued to cover him. _Damn_, the Raikage thought. _It's too heavy to lift and I can't pull myself free. _

"Don't bother," Onoki said. "That technique is called Earth Release: Living Statue. I mold a slab of granite with my chakra and once touched it begins to expand, covering the person who grabbed hold of it. Its density also continues to multiply making it incredibly heavy and impossible to shatter. Soon it will cover your entire body until you become a living statue. At least until you run out of air of course."

The Raikage quickly turned to the ever expanding rock. It was now just passed his left elbow and slowly climbing. The Raikage raised his right hand and flooded a massive amount of electricity into it and punched it as hard as he could. To his amazement only a small piece had broken off and the slab continued to grow. Again the Raikage hit it and again and again and Onoki's eyes grew wide with shock as the Raikage slowly chipped away at his would be prison.

Onoki glared at the Raikage and said, "Well you're stronger than even I anticipated. Luckily I have a backup plan." Onoki quickly made several hand signals and clasped his hands together. The Raikage looked up and was surprised to see particles of dust swirl all around him. The dust began to combine and formed several dozen razor sharps spikes floating in the air all around the Raikage. Again the Raikage looked at the large stone that was now creeping over his biceps. He knew there would be no time to shatter the rock now. "Farewell A," Onoki said as he pointed at him causing all the stone spikes to launch at the Raikage.

Onoki smiled as all the spikes crashed into the area where the Raikage stood and was so focused on that he didn't see the large figure closing in on him at blinding speed until it was too late.

Onoki tried to spin out of the way but he wasn't fast enough and he felt the sickening crack of his nose breaking as his assailant's fist crashed into his face. Onoki's body was launched by the momentum of the hit several yards and crashed into a pile of debris.

Onoki coughed and spat up blood as he climbed out of the pile of scattered rocks and dirt. He was bleeding profusely from a deep wound on his head. His nose was smashed in and broken in several places and as he breathed he could feel a stabbing pain in his side that was no doubt the signs of at least one broken rib.

Onoki was dazed and his vision blurry as he tried to focus on the person standing a short distance away. As his vision cleared a look of pure shock was plastered on his face as he saw the Raikage glaring at him. The Raikage stood with one of Onoki's spikes embedded in his side but what was more amazing was the Raikage's left arm. It was gone.

Just before the spikes were able to cut through the Raikage, he had come to a decision. He didn't have time to shatter the rock that was now pinning him down. But his left arm was another thing entirely. So the Raikage charged a massive amount of lightning into his right fist and struck his left arm, just above his bicep and sliced clean through. And without time to spare he leapt out of the way of the spikes but wasn't able to clear them all, taking one in his right side.

But, unwilling to pause due to the pain, the Raikage saw Onoki standing nearby, gloating over his perceived victory and used that moment to attack.

Now Onoki was hurt badly, struggling to get to his feet. _Damn this old body_, Onoki thought as he found it difficult to stand and his head was so dazed he was having trouble concentrating enough to float. _There was once a time such an attack would never have hurt me this much. Damn it!_

The Raikage screamed as he slowly pulled the stone spike out of his side and threw it to the side. He looked at the remnants of his left arm and saw the blood dripping down. He needed to get it tended to soon if he had any hope of surviving. And he knew the blood he was losing gave him a limited time to fight. He suddenly charged his body with electricity and focused it on his wound which helped to close it up a bit. But he knew that was only a temporary fix.

Turning his attention back to Onoki, the Raikage placed his right index and middle finger together and placed them on his forehead. He began to concentrate and his body began to glow and surge with electrical power. "This is it for you old man," the Raikage screamed as all of the lightning began to surge into his right arm.

Onoki's eyes grew wide with terror as he desperately fought to move. Slowly he was beginning to float again but he knew he wasn't fast enough. _Damn_, Onoki thought. _He's actually going to use that jutsu!_

Seeing Onoki trying to move caused the Raikage to laugh a little. "Don't try to run Onoki," he said. "There is no place to hide now! This is for my brother! Lighting Release: Lightning Arrow!" The Raikage moved his fingers from his forehead and pointed at Onoki and released a powerful blast on lightning towards Onoki who could only close his eyes and brace himself.

The resulting blast as the bolt of lightning struck caused the hundreds of ninja fighting around to stop and shield their eyes. Floating above the sand dome Gaara heard the incredible boom emanate from within and decided to open the dome. As the sand broke apart and the sun once again flooded into the area Gaara was surprised at the carnage within. The exhausted and bloodied soldiers of the three nations stood about in dazed confusion as the bodies of fallen comrades lay about their feet.

Near the center was a large crater, the results of the Raikage's attack. The Raikage stood swaying back and forth as if a strong breeze would cause him to fall. He was dizzy and close to passing out but still waited to ensure the Tsuchikage was dead. As the smoke cleared he was a amazed to see the remnants of a large stone golem positioned between himself and where Onoki was. The golem was the size of a building and the center of it was blasted clean through.

Onoki was on his knees with his eyes shut tight, prepared for what should have been his death. Opening his eyes he looked up to see the back of Akatsuchi who was now facing the Raikage. Beyond Akatsuchi was the near totally destroyed golem Akatsuchi had summoned.

"A…Akatsuchi," Onoki said in astonishment. "What are you doing here?"

Akatsuchi looked back with a smile and said, "Doing what I was sworn to do. I came to lay down my life in the service of my Lord." Akatsuchi turned slightly to face Onoki and that's when Onoki saw it. A large hole had been blasted clear into Akatsuchi's chest and stomach. Akatsuchi spat up blood and collapsed at Onoki's feet.

Akatuschi's breathing was shallow and blood poured from his massive wound. Still with a smile Akatsuchi looked to Onoki who did his best to hide the grief he now felt. "We believe…..in you….my Lord," Akatsuchi said. "This victory can still…..be ours. You can do it…for Iwa." Before Ooki could respond Akatsuchi's entire body shivered and his eyes closed.

"Akatsuchi," Kurotsuchi screamed as she ran up and dropped to her knees. She quickly looked him over and knew she was too late. "No," she whispered as she glared at her grandfather. Onoki then looked away from his grand daughter and looked at the Raikage who had fallen to his knees out of exhaustion.

"Kurotsuchi," Onoki said as he touched he shoulder. "I need you to fly as high as you can." Before she could answer Onoki took off into the sky flying high over the battlefield. Seeing this, Gaara qickly tried to launch blasts of sand at Onoki only for them to be blocked by Kurotsuchi.

"My Lord what are you planning," Kurotsuchi asked as she fought to hold back Gaara's attacks.

"What I should have done from the very beginning," Onoki said as he placed his hands together and using his Dust Release created a small glowing cone. Slowly, Onoki widened is hands which caused the cone to grow in size.

Kurotsuchi turned to see what Onoki was doing and was instantly alarmed. "Grandfather no," she creamed. "That attack will destroy everything in the area including our own men who are fighting down there!"

"A necessary sacrifice," Onoki yelled. "I must put an end to this war now! And those men down there know the risks of war!"

Seeing the attack Gaara began to speed towards the Tsuchikage, desperate to somehow stop it. Onoki looked at Gaara and grinned widely and said, "You're too late little Kazekage!" Onoki fired the blast down towards the Raikage and all the ninja locked in battle.

"Grandfather no," Kurotsuchi yelled as she attempted to grab him in vain. The blast rocketed towards its target as all the ninja, Suna, Kumo and Iwa alike screamed in panic as the moment of their deaths closed in.

Down in the center of the battle field was the Raikage as he remained on his knees. He had lost too much blood and used too much chakra. "Heh," he said as he watched the large cone shaped beam of energy descend upon him. "Looks like I failed little brother. But if there's one good thing about this, it's that I'll see you soon. But I really am sorry."

Onoki looked on with a deep smile on his face while Kurotsuchi watched in horror as the attack struck and exploded in a brilliant flash of light. "No," Kurotsuchi whispered. "You just killed hundreds of our own men."

"And saved thousands more," Onoki said coldly. "This is the job of the Tsuchikage, Kurotsuchi. Sometimes you have to make the hard decisions for the safety of Iwagakure. I did this for the people."

Kurotushi stared at the smoke covered ground below in pure grief. "Pull yourself together Kurotsuchi," Onoki said. "We still need to deal with the Kazekage." It was then Onoki looked up to see Gaara in deep concentration and completely focused on the ground below. "What is he doing," Onoki whispered and then he heard Kurotsuchi gasp.

Onoki looked down and was amazed to see a large wall of sand hovering over the entire battlefield. To his amazement he could here the voices of all the people underneath the shield. _Impossible_, Onoki thought. _That attack is powerful enough to level mountains! He was able to create a sand shield strong enough to block it?_

Slowly Gaara began to guide the large mass of sand away from the people beneath it. His head was pounding and his heart racing. Never before had he needed to create a sand shield of that density. He recalled his battle with the Akatsuki member Deidera and the massive bomb he attempted to detonate over Sunagakure. That explosion was nothing compared to this. Gaara was forced to put all the power he had into the shield and even then it nearly failed.

As the sand finally moved away from over all the people below Gaara allowed the sand to fall to the ground and he immediately fell to his knees and forced the sand platform he was standing on to float down to the ground. He needed to rest.

"Damn," Onoki yelled. "It seems I'll have to do this up close and personal. Kurotsuchi let's go." Onoki looked to Kurotsuchi who stared blankly at the mass of people below who seemed unsure of how to proceed. "Kurotsuchi," Onoki yelled again but she did not answer. "Tch," Onoki said as looked to the Raikage. "Fine, I'll do it myself."

Onoki flew down and stopped a few feet from the Raikage. He was breathing heavily and covered in dirt and sweat. Onoki could see him struggling to get to his feet to no avail, it was clear he was out of power. "You should have surrendered when you had the chance A," Onoki said. "But this is it for you. No more tricks, no more allies. Now you die."

"Heh," Raikage said. "I never feared death. I'm just pissed I'm gonna die at the hands of an old, dishonorable bastard like you."

"Really," Onoki said. "Weren't you the one to tell me years ago that there is no such thing as honor for a Kage? That in the end all that matters is becoming as strong as you can for the betterment of your village? In the end strength and power are the only reality for us."

"Yes," A said, "But I'm starting to think that perhaps I was wrong about that. Perhaps….old man….we both were."

Onoki stared at the Raikage and for a moment the Raikage swore he saw a deep sadness in Onoki's eyes. But as quickly as it appeared it was gone. "Perhaps," Onoki said. "But what's done is done." Suddenly large amounts of dust began gathering around Onoki's right hand and it formed into a blade.

"Do it old man," the Raikage said. "Because if you give me any more time, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Onoki took off, flying as fast as he could with his blade at the ready, aimed for the Raikage's heart. He was inches away when he came to a complete stop. He was now frozen in midair unable to move. "What," Onoki yelled. "What is this? What's going on?" Onoki looked down and saw his shadow was abnormally stretching off behind him. Following the path of the shadow Onoki found a young man standing off to the side. He was using a shadow imitation technique to bind him.

"Looks like I got back just in time," Shikamaru said with a smile as he stood a few feet away. He was covered in sweat and was taking heavy, labored breaths. It was obvious he was pushing himself. Temari and Kankuro stood next to him, prepared to defend him if need be.

Using the opening Shikamaru gave him, the Raikage clenched his right fist and swung out at Onoki and yelled, "Lariat!" The Raikage struck the helpless Onoki in the chest, with such force Onoki's chest caved in and massive amounts of blood burst forth. Onoki was launched several yards back, his damaged body crumpling to the ground.

Seeing this caused all of Onoki's men to stare in a state of shock. Slowly they began to walk towards their fallen leader while at the same time Kurotsuchi floated down and landed at his feet. It was clear tears were in her eyes. Onoki opened his eyes slowly, he found it nearly impossible to breath and despite the level of damage he knew he sustained he felt no pain. Just an overwhelming numbness and an urge to sleep.

Reaching out like a blind man in the dark, Onoki never looked so feeble, so helpless. "Kurotsuchi," he said. His voice was low and ragged and he wheezed violently. "Come to me," he said.

"Yes grandfather," Kurotsuchi answered sadly.

"It seems I have fallen victim to my own lust for power," he said. "Tell your father that as the next Tsuchikage, he must be strong. Strong like you. You were stronger than I could ever be and your strength must guide Iwagakure.. I allowed my own fear to blind me to what was right. Forgive me."

"Grandfather," Kurotsuchi said. "I love you. And I forgive you." Onoki took several more shallow breaths and his eyes went vacant. Kurotsuchi gently closed her fathers eyes and placed him down gently.

"Lady Kurotsuchi," one of her comrades said. "What should we do? What are our orders?'

"I say we finish the job our Lord gave us," one Iwa ninja yelled.

"Yeah," said another, "Let's avenge the death of our lord!"

More and more the Iwa ninja began to yell their agreement.

"No," Kurotsuchi whispered under the growing screams of her comrades. "No! Enough!" Suddenly all the remaining ninja from Iwa fell silent as Kurotsuchi stood up. "There has already been too much blood spilled today. Too much suffering in a war we never should have started." Kurotsuchi then looked at one of the generals and said, "Instruct the men to lay down their arms."

"But Lady Kurotsuchi…," he responded.

"I said do it," she yelled.

The general took a deep breath and stared at Kurotsuchi for a moment before turning to the men and said, "You heard her. Lay down your weapons."

Kurotsuchi walked through the large group of her men towards the Raikage who was leaning on Omoi. Karui was standing at the ready next to him. And just behind was Shikamaru who was leaning on Temari and Gaara who was being helped by Kankuro.

Kurotsuchi walked up to the Raikage and dropped to one knee. "Lord Raikage," she said. "There is nothing that can be said that undo all that we have done. But I give you my humblest apologies. We were…..misled…..into this war. Our acts were reprehensible and we have lost our honor."

"Well isn't this a fine way to end a war," Shikamaru said with a smirk.

"As I've said there is nothing that can be said that can fix this," Kurotsuchi continued. "But if you would allow us some way to regain our honor. If you allow, I would like to offer our services in the fight against the Akatsuki."

The Raikage looked to Gaara and the others. "The decision is yours," Gaara said.

The Raikage then looked to Kurotsuchi and said, "Today I learned something about the value of having trusted allies. For as long as I can remember I have believed that a nation must only rely on itself to provide strength. Perhaps a new era is coming where that is not so true."

"However," the Raikage continued, "I have no interest in fighting alongside your people. I have no such reason to trust you. You think by aiding us now that it will absolve you from your crimes? Get real. You're lost honor is no concern of mine. You want forgiveness girl, go find a priest."

Kurotsuchi took a deep breath and looked away from the Raikage. She got to her feet and said, "I understand."

"But, because of your actions I will give you this much," the Raikage said. "Take the body of your fallen Kage and those of your comrades and leave the Land of Lightning. I will give you two days to get all of your men out of my land. Anyone who is still here beyond that deadline will be killed on sight…without mercy."

_******Several hours later******_

Shikamaru sat outside a small tent. After the battle all the surviving ninja made their way to a makeshift camp two miles away were they all received medical attention. Both he and Gaara were fine outside of extreme exhaustion. And Temari, Kankuro, Omoi and Karui had only suffered a few bumps and bruises. Considering all the craziness they had just been through Shikamaru considered it a miracle they had gotten out with so little damage.

The Raikage on the other hand, was not so lucky. He was diagnosed with a major concussion, internal bleeding, massive blood loss, two broken ribs and not to mention a lost left arm. Shikamaru took a deep breath and looked up at the blue sky.

"Everything alright," Gaara asked as he walked up to Shikamaru.

"It just never ceases to amaze me how such terrible things can happen on such a beautiful day," Shikamaru replied.

"It could have ended a lot worse if not for your plan Shikamaru," Gaara said as he sat down next to him. "That technique of yours is truly amazing. When did you know you could do something like that?"

"Oh about five seconds after I tried it," Shikamaru said with a smirk.

Gaara was clearly shocked and said, "So you didn't know you could absorb all of those men into a shadow?"

"Are you kidding me," Shikamaru asked. "Before today I'd never tried to do it with more than one person."

Gaara stared at Shikamaru for a moment before saying, "If I were you I wouldn't tell Temari that."

Shikamaru laughed for a while but then noticed Gaara had a serious, almost saddened look on his face. "Ok," Shikamaru said. "What is it? You don't look like a guy who just won a war."

"Shikamaru," Gaara said. "We just got word from Konoha that they were attacked a few days ago."

"By who," Shikamaru asked excitedly. "Was it Akatsuki?"

"Yes," Gaara said. "But they were able to stop the threat. However they did sustain one notable casualty. Rock Lee was able to single handedly stop the threat. But it cost him his life. I'm sorry."

Shikamaru went silent for a moment as he stared vacantly at Gaara. He didn't speak; it felt as though he wasn't even breathing. Finally after a few moments he tried to say something, "I….Lee is….he's…"

Gaara placed his hand on Shikamaru's shoulder and said, "From our reports Lee fought and died bravely and was able to save Konoha from being dealt what very well could have been a fatal blow. You should be proud of him."

"I am," Shikamaru said as his voice was cracking under the strain to keep his composure. "But I….I need to go home Gaara. I need to go to Konoha."

It was then they heard the distinct, booming voice of the Raikage behind them. "I agree," he said causing Gaara and Shikamaru to look back. "Let's get some rest and then, first thing tomorrow we will all head to Konoha. And there we will put an end to Akatsuki once and for all."

End of Chapter Eighteen

Next Time: The Unexpected Ally of Konoha


	19. An Unexpected Ally of Konoha

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to the Chronicles of the Seventh. I hope for those who celebrate Thankgiving that it was a good holiday. As always I like to begin by stating that I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

Thanks to all those who reviewed my previous chapter: Diamond Man; airnaruto45; xDARKNESS; Nemrut; Gravenimage; Mudcake; Kushina's Truth of Hell; The FlyingLion; charles cdv; Sasuke K; NaruSaku29; goldone5.

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**RESPONCES**

**Diamond Man** - Glad you enjoyed the fight my friend. Naruto will be returning the forefront soon and all answers will be revealed.

**airnaruto45** - Lol! Why do i love your reviews so much? that's the real mystery. Anyway, you answer is below.

**xDARKNESS** - Thanks for the praise and I'm glad you enjoyed the action. I think I'm statring to get more comfortable doing the action scenes. Expect my story to focus on the main characters again soon.

**Nemrut **- Hmmm, you may be right in a sense. I wanted to illustrate just how close some of the attacks came to landing and I may have over did that a bit. I disagree that the Tsuchikage was justified. He sided with Akatsuki out of fear and he knew it. And i think that was the point. Or at least what i was trying to get across. The grand daughter didn't like siding with Akatsuki from the beginning and her sense of honor led her to submit.

**Gravenimage** - Thanx.

**Mudcake** - Yes, the Raikage's armor is incredibly strong. But so was the Tsuchikage's techniques. I wanted to portray him as a real powerhouse despite his age.

**Kushina's** - LMAO! I can't believe that still affects you. But i guess that means I did a good job. :)

**The FlyingLion** - LoL! Glad you loved that. So did I!

**charles cdv** - Thanx.

**Sasuke K** - Thanx dude.

**NaruSaku29** - Thanx

**goldone5** - Thanx, i noticed that no one else commented on that conversation and I was wondering what people thought of it. Naruto is working on...no comment. Lol! Shikamaru found out late because though the war between Suna and Konoha is over they aren't technically allies and Konoha, thanks to Danzo, is secretive. So it takes time to get information.

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**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Ok, so here is chapter nineteen of the End of Innocence. Enjoy! And remember to **please** leave a little **review** on your way out the door. ^^

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XIX: An Unexpected Ally of Konoha

_******Mount Myoboku – Night******_

Every night Naruto sleeps, he dreams. And every night the dreams are the same. The words are the same. And most importantly, so is the fear. The inescapable dread he feels never leaves no matter what he does.

"_You think you understand Sasuke, don't you Naruto? But You don't know him at all," Madara said. _

"_He can not see beyond his vengeance….."_

"…_.the two of you are destined to oppose eachother and one of you will die….._

"_That will never happen Madara," Naruto answered._

"_Sasuke's purpose is the destruction of Konoha…," Madara replied._

_Naruto screamed as Madara told him of what Sasuke did to Sakura. And in response the bastard laughed._

"_Can you feel it Naruto? The sickening burning in the pit of your stomach? The feeling of helplessness and weakness?...I think you've finally come to understand Sasuke at last….."_

"_Can you kill me?" Naruto asked._

"_I have looked across time and space and seen the many possibilities of how my destiny will play out…," said Madara._

"_Can you reach out from what ever pit you call a home and kill me right now," Naruto asked._

"…_.it always ends here, at this time. At this very place….." said Madara._

"_If you can then I suggest you kill me now. Because this will be the best chance you'll ever get!" Naruto yelled. _

"…_..why should I fear you Naruto when I've already won?"_

"…_I will find you Madara! And the last thing you will see, will be my face!'_

"_See you soon Uzumaki."_

Naruto woke up with a start. Every nerve was on edge and his heart was racing. It took him a few moments to remember where he was. The sun had long since set and he was relaxing in a hot spring. The last few days of intense training had done a number on his body and the hot water was just what he needed to sooth his aching muscles.

Naruto hadn't got much sleep since his arrival here and it obviously caught up to him as he had apparently dozed off for several hours. Unfortunately one of the reasons he had gotten little sleep lately was the fact that every time he did he would dream of his meeting with Madara and this time was no different.

Naruto wiped his face and reached over to the celestial calendar sitting nearby. He quickly scanned it and placed it back.

_Damn right Madara_, Naruto thought. _We'll be seeing each other real soon._ Naruto leaned back and stared up at the stars. He was trying his best to enjoy this moment which could very likely be his last moment of peace. Because tomorrow everything would begin. Tomorrow, Naruto goes home.

_******Land of Fire – Western Borders – the Next Morning******_

The young Konoha shinobi yawned deeply and stretched. He leaned over the low wall of the wooden battlement and began to dose off. Several weeks ago, Danzo had ordered his men out towards the borders to build large look out posts to help keep watch for signs of the enemy. As a genin, he was tasked to assist with construction and then guard duty. Which meant inhumanly long shifts with little to do.

The genin was at the tail end of his fourteen hour shift now and could only think of resting and a meal. With the sun now up and beating down on him he was starting to nod off.

"Look alive you idiot," came a bellowing voice from behind the genin. Instantly the genin stood ramrod straight as he knew who the familiar voice belonged to.

"Yes Tokuma-Taicho," the genin said as he saluted sharply. "My sincerest apologies Taicho!"

Tokuma Hyuga was the appointed leader of the squad sent to the Western Borders of the Land of Fire and despite his young age had garnered the reputation of being a no nonsense type of guy with a high mission success rate. He had quickly rose through the ranks to Jonin status and was highly regarded in the Hyuga clan for having one of the strongest Byakugans in the village. For years Tokuma was considered the brightest young mind of all the Hyuga. That is, until a young boy by the name of Neji showed up.

Tokuma sighed deeply and despite his young face he had the steely, hardened eyes of a man who had seen more than his share of battles. "Listen," Tokuma said. "I know things can get a bit boring way out here. But you do know all of the enemy movement taking place up north right?"

"Yes Taicho," the Genin said.

"Well, eventually things will get exciting here," Tokuma said. "And it's our job to be the first line of defense and alert our comrades of danger. Our comrades and friends depend on us to be alert. So I don't care what your rank is, I won't forgive you for not doing your job, understand?"

Again the genin saluted and yelled, "Yes Tokuma-taicho!"

"Alright," Tokuma said. "You head down and alert your replacements to prepare to take over. I'll keep watch until they…." Tokuma's words trailed off as he noticed an unusually large flock of birds flying overhead. It appeared that they were coming from the land beyond. Tokuma peered out over the wooden wall and out towards the land near the horizon. _No way_, he thought as he activated his Byakugan and looked out into the distance.

The Genin stood watching Tokuma for a moment as he merely stared out into the distance. He then asked, "Tokuma-taicho? Taicho, is everything…."

Tokuma then turned to the genin and yelled, "Sound the alarm and send a messenger back to Konoha! Inform the Hokage that we are under attack! There's a large army headed this way! And get everyone here at the ready! We may be forced to try and hold them!"

The genin stared at Tokuma in fear. He seemed rooted to the ground unable to even breathe.

Tokuma grabbed the genin by the flack jacket and yelled, "Did you hear me? Get your ass moving!"

"R-right Taicho," the genin responded as he ran off.

Tokuma again looked out into the distance and tried his best to determine the size of the army heading this way. _There's got to be hundreds, perhaps thousands of them_, he thought. _We'll have to hold them back as best we can but there are only forty of us stationed here. Even by the time back up arrives from Konoha. We'll all be dead._

******Meanwhile - Konoha – Residence of Tsunade******

Sakura yawned as she got out of bed. Looking at the alarm clock she saw it was just after 7 a.m. and she slowly got out of bed and padded to the bathroom and washed up. Twenty minutes later Sakura walked into the living room and was greeted with the delicious aroma of a freshly cooked meal.

As she made her way to the dining area she arrived just in time to see Ino placing the plates on the table. "Hello Sakura-chan," Ino said with a smile. "You're just in time for breakfast. Come on and sit down."

Sakura sighed slightly and smiled and said, "Ino, you don't need to keep stopping by you know. I'm pretty sure Neji could use you more than I could. You don't have to keep putting yourself out of the way."

"Don't be silly," Ino replied. "I don't mind doing something like this for a friend. Besides Neji-kun in being tended to by several members of the Hyuga clan. Hinata's father has gone out of his way to ensure he has round the clock care."

"Thanks," Sakura said. Despite Ino's answer, Sakura knew the truth. Ino was concerned for Sakura's safety. Everyone was, even if they didn't admit it. Tsunade, despite Sakura's protests had insisted she stay here and not at home. And Tsunade had extra ninja, who were loyal to her, stand watch at night. And Ino was coming by every day to act as added security.

Just then Tsunade entered the room still wearing her robe and slippers. "It's about time you woke up Sakura," Tsunade said. "I was about to come in there and give you a wake up call. You may not be here to train but this isn't some hotel."

"Sorry Tsunade-sama," Sakura said with a bow. "I'll be more mindful in the future."

Tsunade looked at Sakura sternly for a moment before her feature suddenly brightened. "Alright then," she said. "Let's not let this meal Ino prepared get cold."

Sakura smiled and licked her lips as she looked at the steaming bowl of Miso soup before her and the three women quickly sat down and said, "Itadakimasu," and eagerly began eating.

After they had completed the meal Sakura sat back and said, "Thank you Ino. It was delicious. You really have learned to cook really well."

Ino happily said, "Thank you Sakura."

"I guess you're practicing for when you have to take care of Neji-kun right," Sakura said with a devious smile.

Suddenly the smile seemed to disappear from Ino's face as she looked at her empty bowl. "I don't think I'll have to worry about that Sakura. The Hyuga don't allow outsiders to join their family remember."

"Tch," Tsunade said as she was clearly annoyed. "Sometimes tradition too often gets in the way of common sense Ino."

"Tsunade-sama is right," Sakura said. "If you and Neji love each other then you should go for it. Who cares what other people say!"

Ino giggled lightly and said, "I didn't expect you to say something like that Sakura."

"What do you mean," Sakura asked as she sipped on a cup of water.

"Well, considering you're going to let Naruto-kun get away and everything," Ino teased.

Sakura nearly choked on her water and quickly placed her cup down as she fought to stop coughing. "What are you talking about Ino," Sakura said. "Naruto and I are just friends!"

Both Ino and Tsunade looked at each other and burst out laughing. "Sure you guys are," Tsunade said as she wiped the tear from her eye. Sakura sat with her arms folded glaring holes into both women as they regained their composure.

"You guys are heartless," Sakura said as she was clearly moping.

"Now Sakura don't sulk," Ino said. "What's going on with Naruto is you're fault."

"My fault," Sakura yelled. "How is any of this my fault?"

"Look its obvious Naruto has a thing for you," Ino responded. "He has for years. But he's still just too immature to do anything about it. So you should have already taken charge."

"Lady Tsunade aren't you gonna back me up on this," Sakura asked.

"Don't look at me Sakura, I happen to agree with Ino," Tsunade said. "Aren't you interested in him?"

"I-it's not that," Sakura said. "It's just that…..things are so…..complicated."

"What's so complicated," Ino asked. "He likes you and you like him. Period. I'll tell you one thing, you better not think you can sit back and wait forever. A guy like Naruto won't be around for much longer."

Sakura took another sip of her drink and looked at both women who stared at her seriously. "What do you think Tsunade-sama," she asked.

"Ino is right Sakura," Tsunade replied. "Take it from your teacher. Life for a shinobi can be frightfully short. Better to live with as few regrets as possible wouldn't you say? Besides, you may not have noticed but Hinata doesn't seem to be the same old shy girl she used to be. If you don't do something you may lose him to her."

"Hell, if things don't work out with Neji maybe I'll steal Naruto from the both of you," Ino said with a devious smile. Ino then looked up at the roof and seemed deep in thought as she played with her hair. "Yeah, I think he and I would be a good couple wouldn't you say? He does have pretty eyes. And really nice lips."

"Oh please," Sakura said waiving Ino off. "A guy like Naruto would never be interested in a pig like you. You should stick with Neji. He clearly has low standards."

"What did you just say you big fore-headed bitch," Ino yelled angrily.

"You heard me INO PIG," Sakura yelled back.

As the two girls began to argue back and forth Tsunade smiled. Considering all the death and uncertainty and fear that seemed to envelope the whole village it was nice to see there was still time for some of the simple pleasures of spending time with friends. It wasn't two weeks ago that everyone believed Sakura was dead, Naruto was a prisoner and Konoha was locked in a deadly war with Suna and Kumo with the threat of Akatsuki looming.

Yet since then so much had changed. Tsunade recalled the day the messenger came running in to tell her that Sakura was alive and back in the village. Tsunade ran to the main entrance where Sakura was found, full of strength and vitality, arguing with Kotetsu and Izumo. Tsunade couldn't remember the last time she had been so happy and it felt like a large weight had fallen off her shoulders when she saw Sakura's smiling face.

Tsunade had so many questions she wanted to ask but before they could really speak Danzo arrived. Her immediate thought was that things were about to get ugly. Especially when she saw Sakura's expression. Sakura looked like she was seconds from trying to kill Danzo and Danzo himself seemed a bit uneasy. There was obviously more going on here than she knew.

But to her surprise Danzo greeted Sakura warmly, or at least as warmly as a man like Danzo can get. Danzo didn't seem overly interested in immediately questioning her about where she had been and didn't resist Sakura's request to grant the people she had brought with her asylum. Once business was done Danzo ordered Yamato back to ANBU headquarters to give a report and he quickly left the scene.

Once that was over Tsunade asked for Sakura to come to her home but Sakura said she wanted to make sure the refugees where all properly taken care of and then she wanted to see her mom. Once done she would see her later. Tsunade wasn't particularly happy with that as she wanted to know what was going on but she understood and agreed to see her later.

It wasn't until 8p.m. that night Sakura arrived at Tsunade's home and they were able to sit down and talk. And what Tsunade heard filled her with a rage she hadn't felt since she came face to face with Pain nearly four years ago.

Tsunade had always been weary of Danzo's ruthless nature and his all consuming desire to protect his position. But to side with Akatsuki and to sell out one of his own people? Danzo had gone too far. It took all of her will power to prevent herself from marching up to Danzo's offices and ripping him apart.

But Tsunade knew now wasn't the time. Konoha had just narrowly avoided a devastating attack by Akatsuki. One of their most celebrated young ninja and friend had just died. They were still embroiled in a war with Suna and Kumo that no one wanted to admit wasn't going well.

And Naruto, one of the few bright spots they had, was still being held captive by the enemy. Now was not the time to begin a public feud between the previous and current Hokage. The people were scared enough. Seeing such dissention between their leaders could result in wide spread panic. Danzo had to be left alone for now. But only for now. Danzo's time was coming and with Sakura's return, it would happen soon.

But that was something that could be thought about at another time. For now, it was enough that her two cherished pupils where here, safe, smiling, fighting and apparently trying to tear each others hair out.

_******Kirigakure – Office of the Mizukage******_

Madara sat in his chair as he silently looked at the shogi pieces on the board in front of him. He had just recently received word of the Iwagakure's surrender and the death of the Third Tsuchikage. "Fairwell Onoki," Madara said as he removed a knight from the board. "A shame really. I was hoping that you would hold Kumo longer than you did. Oh well. You served your purpose. The Eight Tailed Biju is ours."

Madara sat back in his seat and stared at the board and after a brief moment he looked at the Lance piece he had removed from the board a few days ago. It represented Muramasa, the traitor from the Land of Lightning that he had chosen to be the host of the Two Tailed Biju. What an utter failure that turned out to be.

_******Several Miles outside Konohagakure – Several days ago******_

_The explosion high in the sky was massive as his prized airship was turned into a twisted pile of metal and rock. Madara stood in the shadows of several dense trees as he watched, dejected as he watched his prize fall to the earth like pieces of a comet. _

_To his surprise Madara could see a large Green Dragon floating in the sky and as it wound down, at its tail, was a young man hovering at death's door. Hmmm, Madara thought as he leaned against a tree with his arms folded. The Twilight Dragon? It's been decades since I've seen that technique. According to our intel, I thought only Might Guy was even capable of pulling that one off. I didn't think anyone else even knew it. No wonder Muramasa lost this fight. Such a shame. I really liked that ship. Oh well, I should hurry along. It won't take long for Konoha's security forces to get out here. _

_Madara quickly began leaping through the trees as he searched the burning wreckage. All around him were fires and twisted and shattered debris. There were bodies and severed body parts everywhere and they all belonged to his own men. After a few minutes Madara found his target. _

_There among a large pile of wreckage was the severed upper torso of Muramasa. His body was cut cleanly in half at the waist and his groin and legs were no where in sight. Muramasa to his credit was still alive, pulling himself hand over hand away leaving a trail of thick blood behind him. Well I have to admire his determination at least, Madara thought as he walked up behind him._

"_Now exactly how far do you think you can get in your condition," Madara asked as he stood next to Muramasa._

_Muramasa struggled to look up and couldn't see who was speaking to him. "Who are you," he asked._

"_Ah yes," Madara responded. "You and I have never actually met in person have we?" Madara placed his foot underneath Muramasa's chest and flipped him on his back. "So far you've only ever dealt with my man Zetsu."_

_Suddenly Muramasa was struck with fear. "Lord Madara," he said. "I have dreamed of the day we would finally meet. It shames me that it would be as a failure. But I assure you my Lord, next time…."_

_Madara suddenly laughed. "Next time," he asked. "Why do you presume there will be a next time Muramasa? I mean look at you. You're body is so damaged that even the Biju can't heal you. It's taking all its power just to keep you alive. You're a useless piece of shit now."_

_Terror struck Muramasa has he tried in vain to drag himself away. "Please Lord Madara," Muramasa yelled as pulled himself away in a panic. "I will not fail you again!'_

_Madara walked behind Muramasa as if no hurry to grab him. He was like a predator playing with his meal. "I give you one simple task Muramasa," Madara said. His anger in his tone was increasing as he continued to follow his failed experiment. "All you had to do was over-see the repairs of my ship and then wait for my command. And then you could kill as many citizens of Konoha you wanted. But what do you do? You slaughter nearly all the ninja under your command and you take my ship without orders."_

"_I did it for you my Lord," Muramasa yelled as he seemed on the verge of tears. "I was going to destroy Konoha for you!"_

"_And you couldn't do even that right," Madara said. "The only thing burning here are the bodies of my men, my ship and your filthy ass! All you've done is set back my plans considerably!" _

_Madara then grabbed Muramasa by the shoulder and lifted him in the air. "But I'm not bitter Muramasa," Madara said. "And there is one last thing you can do for me. Try not to die before we get that Biju out of you please. It's the least you can do."_

_Madara began to walk away dragging a whimpering Muramasa behind him. "P-please my Lord," Muramasa screamed. "Please give me another chance! Please!" Realizing Madara was no longer listening Muramasa suddenly began to glow with the power of the Two Tailed beast and lunged at his master. _

_Madara quickly turned and grabbed Muramasa by the neck and using his other hand placed his finger at Muramamsa's temple. To Muramasa's surprise his power faded and he felt suddenly drained and weak. "Well at least you still have some fight in you," Madara said as he turned and continued to drag Muramasa away._

_Now truly in a panic and crying Muramasa yelled, "P-please my lord. Only a chance is all I need. Please my Lord, have mercy!"_

_Madara suddenly came to complete stop and stood still for a brief moment. Muramasa could feel Madara's grip on his arm tightening and it felt like it was about to be crushed. With a voice filled with an unbridled rage Madara asked, "Mercy? MERCY!" _

_Suddenly Madara pulled Muramasa into the air and slammed his broken body into a nearby tree, nearly breaking the tree in half. Terrified and shaking Muramasa watched as Madara tore off his mask and put his face inches from Muramasa's. "What makes you think that I am even remotely capable of such a thing," Madara asked._

_About half a mile away the security forces from Konoha were quickly making their way to the crash site when they heard a blood curdling scream that quickly faded on the breeze. _

_******Konoha – Root Headquarters – Hidden Prisons******_

Danzo stood in the dank, dimly lit prison cell. The place stank of feces, sweat and blood and Danzo had no interest to stay longer than he had too. Chained to the wall opposite of the cell door was Kabumaru. He wore no shirt, tattered, brown pants and was barefoot. He was dirty with fresh cuts, bruises and sores all over his body. His long, white hair was matted with mud, dirt and grime.

"Are you ready to talk yet," Danzo asked. "I'm sure you can see that things are only going to get worse for you."

Kabumaru slowly raised his head up to look at Danzo. It was clear he barely had the strength to even do that much. "I….have to admit," He said, "You have definitely made this place…..more interesting. Ha! But I still will tell you nothing."

"What do you have to gain by refusing to help me Kabumaru," Madara said angrily. "All this can end if you just tell me how to fix my arm. If you do I'd…."

"You'd what," Kabumaru asked. "You'd let me go? Ha! You must take me for a fool Danzo."

"You haven't eaten in four days," Danzo said. "You haven't slept in seven and you have had no water in two. You are covered in your own filth and have not seen the sun in two years."

"Yes," Kubumaru said with a smile. "The amenities at this hotel do leave much to be desired."

"Hmpf," Danzo said. "You sure are taking this place too lightly. Maybe if we begin removing limbs you will see just how serious we are."

Just then a ROOT ninja ran into the cell and instantly fell to one knee. "Forgive me Lord Hokage but we just received an urgent message from the western border."

"Hurry up," Danzo said impatiently.

"A large armed force has been spotted marching towards the Land of Fire," the ninja responded.

"What," Danzo yelled in disbelief.

Kabumaru laughed spitefully and said, "Well, it seems the water is rising even faster doesn't it Danzo?"

Danzo glared at Kabumaru but decided to remain silent. He would not give him the satisfaction of a response. "Sound the alarms and prepare for battle," Danzo said. "Do we have any idea where this army is from?"

_******Land of Fire – Western Borders******_

"What did you just say," Tokuma said as he looked at the grey haired man before him. Several minutes ago the army of ninja, which Tokuma estimated at about five to six thousand had marched up and stopped several hundred yards.

"My name is Ao of Kirigakure," Ao said with a pleasant smile. "I've come here along with the military force of Amegakure to assist Konoha in the upcoming war."

"You're here to help us," Tokuma asked with a hint of skepticism.

"Actually that is not completely correct," said a woman who walked out from behind Ao. "We're not here for Konoha's benefit at all."

"And just who are you," Tokuma asked.

"I am the Arashikage, of Amegakure," the woman said. "Please inform your Hokage of our arrival."

End of Chapter Nineteen

Next time: At the Edge of Chaos


	20. At the Edge of Chaos

_**INTRODUCTION**_

Welcome back to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I like to begin by stating that i do not own Naruto.

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_**THANK YOU**_

Thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Exor; GravenImage; FoxSage19; airnaruto45; xDARKNESS; Kushina's Truth of Hell; Sasuke K; Diamond Man; Anonymous-stalker; EmpKaylenatye; Mudcake; The Flying Lion; goldone5 and Narusaku29.

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_**RESPONCES**_

**Exor **- Well, I'm glad you like my story so much you would read it multiple times. "The Message" from book one is also one of my favorites and it was one of the first chapters that made me feel real good about the work I was doing.

So you lived in Japan? i would love to speak to you about the japanese culture. I've visited China but Japan is really a place that fascinates me and i'm glad my portrayal of how relationships are actually handled are closer to Japanese culture. That was something **highly **important to me. i wanted the characters to act as authentically as possible. And fear not, i have a feeling those two will see eachother very soon.

**Gravenimage **- Thanx Graven. I'm glad you liked the Ino/Sakura conversation. I've really wanted to portray Ino as the one character of the K11 who has a more "grown-up" view of relationships.

**FoxSage19** - What, you didn't think i wouldn't bring Konan into this story did you? Lol! Glad you like things so far.

**airnaruto45 **- Thanx.

**xDARKNESS **- Am I really the only author who updates weekly? Hmmm, I wonder if that's true. Anyway, yes things are going to start coming together. the final battle for the fate of the world is fast approaching people!

**Kushina's **- So you liked the Ino/Sakura chat? Great, i had fun writing that. It's always nice to sometimes write a piece without the drama or action and just show the characters living normally.

**Sasuke K **- I'm such a Baka. I can't believe i didn't catch that mistake in my final edit of the chapter. Thanks. I'll fix the mistake. Ino has slowly become a closet Naruto Fangirl IMO (in the canon too I think) so it was just fun to have her tease sakura a bit.

**Diamond Man** - Naruto has many conflicting emotions right now. his basic instinct is to kill Madara but he knows that doing so may not bring his ultimate goal which is gaining true peace for the world. I hope as things go forward that this struggle he is going through will be recognized and appreciated by the readers.

**Anonymous-stalker** - Maybe...maybe not. It really comes down to what you believe in more: Madara's planning and power or Naruto's will. Which will win! Taking all bets!

**EmpKaylenatye **- I am very happy you've been enjoying my efforts to make every chapter mean something even if nothing too great happens. It's been one of the challenges of writing this story to make every chapter interesting despite not always focusing on Naruto or Sakura. It's not easy to sell a NS story where there are long stretches when neither character is even in the story.

**Mudcake **- I have a few ideas for Konan. i hope what i choose to do will be an interesting way to show her abilities. Only time will tell. Am i good with OC's? Well, sometimes they can work and sometimes they can be a disaster. I think in creating an OC one must try to have the OC play seamlessly in the world. Thier personality and abilities must play in a way that doesn't take the reader out of the story. My original characters were not planned from the beginning but instead were developed as I wrote. perhaps it's more luck than talent that they worked out. But I prefer to think it was talent. Lol!

**The Flying Lion** - Well, i thank you for that but I won't take back my statement that i don't think I am. But I'm glad that my story hasn't become predictable. You should see the ideas I have for the end of this story. I've got about four different finale's that i have to choose from and trust me, each is **very **different.

**goldone5** - Maybe we can call them the Army of the Fox. Lol! Danzo will pay for his deeds. But I will say I think you'll be surprised with how it actually happens. i've begun writing that chapter actually. And I think you'll be surprised and happy. Naruto's return...may be...closer than you think...Lol! Glad you've been enjoying the story so far.

**NaruSaku29 **- Thanx.

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**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Alright guys hereis chapter 20. Hope you enjoy it and **please** remember to **review** once done. Also I'd like to take the time to give you my first notice that next weeks chapter will be the last one before a hiatus for the holidays. That's right, there will be a **two week **break after next weeks chapter. So chapter 21 will be released on 12/19/2010 and chapter 22 will be released on 01/09/2011. Thanx!

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XX: At the Edge of Chaos

_******Kirigakure – Office of the Mizukage – Midday******_

Madara stood in his office in front of the full length mirror as he adjusted his new clothes. He was now dressed in black Uchiha robes and gloves with the Uchiha crest now shown prominently on his back. His mask was different now as well. It now covered the entire upper half of his head and consisted of a ripple pattern with three tomoes around the center, two of which made out the eye holes of the mask. And he had a long black bandana which tapered down to his back.

Madara could hear the monotonous thumping coming from all around. It was continuous and fluctuated from barely noticeable to a deep groaning that Madara could feel in his body. It was if the very earth itself was shuddering at the thought or what was to come and all the blood that it would be covered in.

As the door to his office opened Madara didn't take his eyes from the mirror or give any sign at all that he had noticed the movement in the room. "I take it you have gotten sufficient rest," Madara asked.

"More than enough," Sasuke asked as he stood watched Madara tend to himself.

Madara looked at Sasuke in the mirror and admired his new look. Sasuke wore a dark grey shirt with a high raised collar and red, light body armor strapped on his chest, back and shoulders. He had red arm guards and black pants. On his back had a large Uchiha crest and the Sword of Kusanagi was sheathed at his hip. "You seem prepared for this Sasuke," Madara said.

"I've been prepared for years Madara," Sasuke said. "It's only because I chose to put up with your ridiculous insistence on this plan that I've waited so long."

"Sometimes patience can be greater than any weapon or jutsu you can acquire Sasuke," Madara said. "I mean look at what we were able to accomplish. All of the ninja villages are splintered, untrusting and fearful. Konoha especially, is now ripe for the picking."

"I'm not interested in controlling the ninja world Madara, just destroying it," Sasuke said.

"Yes, of course Sasuke," Madara responded. "I promise you that when we are done we will leave not one brick on brick. The entire foundation shall crumble. But I wonder, are you really ready for such a world?"

"You question my resolve," Sasuke asked angrily.

"Perhaps," Madara replied. "Considering the fact that you allowed Naruto to live and failed to kill the Haruno girl…."

"Both are mistakes that will not happen again," Sasuke said angrily. "I will personally see to it that the blood of every citizen of Konoha will bathe the earth. They will all know the vengeance of the Uchiha. No one wants that more than me. Not even you."

"Good…..good," Madara said as he nodded. Madara made final adjustments to his belt and faced Sasuke. "That is exactly the mindset I require from the man chosen to be commander general of my army. You should go out and make the final preparations. I want us ready to move out by nightfall."

Sasuke turned and silently made his way to the door when Madara asked, "Aren't you going to thank me Sasuke? Thanks to me, all your dreams of vengeance will be fulfilled."

Sasuke stopped in his tracks and looked back at Madara. "Thanks," he asked. "Madara I think you mistake me and my intentions. Don't for a moment think that I have forgotten your role in the extinction of my people. Nor should you assume that your actions will absolve you from my wrath."

"As far as I'm concerned the blood of the Uchiha is on your hands as much as any other," Sasuke continued. "And you deciding to now wear the Uchiha crest on your back is an affront to me, my family and all the people of the Uchiha. When this is over Madara, you too will face my vengeance and pay for your crimes and manipulations."

Sasuke then opened the door to the office and before leaving said, "Consider that warning as all the thanks you will receive from me."

Madara stared at Sasuke in silence as he left the room and then reached for his gunbai that was leaning on his table and hooked it on his back. Madara then walked over to the side of his office where there were two large double doors leading out to a terrace. As soon as Madara opened the door the monotonous thumping exploded into a thunderous chorus of talking, laughter, arguments and screaming.

As Madara made his way to the edge of the terrace and looked out over his village he could see that the courtyard below and all the streets were clogged to the brim with his soldiers. Thousands upon thousands of the most brutal, blood thirsty, excommunicated ninja he could find were at his command and ready to seek a terrible vengeance on the world that had discarded them.

Seeing Madara standing above them, the men yelled and chanted his name in delight. Madara was there savior, their messiah who promised them everything their hearts desired. After allowing the feeling of their worship wash over him for a few minutes Madara raised his hand to silence his flock.

"Soldiers of Akatsuki," Madara said in a booming voice. "For too long we have been forced in the shadows of this world. For too long the weak have sat in their safe homes claiming that they are the leaders and ordering us to do their dirty work then dare to feign horror and ignorance of our deeds!"

"Why must we be forced to live in a world where the strong must pay with their blood, sweat and pain, to protect the weak and pathetic masses; only to be repaid with their loathing and disgust! They say we are monsters! Unworthy of their pity or praise! Yet it is to us they turn when their safety is threatened!"

"Well, I say no more! Today we stand at the precipice of a new age for the ninja world! An age where we, those that are truly strong, guide the destiny of this world! We will take our own praise and we control the fate of the very world we have built from the shadows!"

"You, are all ninja's and warriors from different lands and villages. You are from different clans and backgrounds but there is one thing we all share! We are the forgotten! We are the discarded! We are the ones used for our strength and then shunned for our brutality! And when this war is ended we will be the ones who will rule!"

Madara raised his hands in triumph as the masses below cheered and chanted his name. It was clear that their lust for blood was high and they were ready to achieve all that was promised them, all that they desired. And they all believed that Madara Uchiha was the man to get it for them.

_******Meanwhile – Konoha******_

Sakura, Tsunade and Ino stood in the large crowd of people gathered near the main square near the main entrance. Shino, Hinata, Choji and Kiba were also standing nearby. When word had come in that there was a large army marching towards The Land of Fire she, along with everyone else had assumed the worst. That Akatsuki had decided to make their final move against them.

For the past few weeks Danzo had began running emergency drills specifically tailored to dealing with a surprise Akatsuki attack and everyone seemed prepared regarding what their roles were to be.

Unfortunately Sakura hadn't been a part of those drills but her first instinct was to head to the hospital where she knew she'd likely be needed. And she was there, dealing with a few patients and preparing the medical staff for, what she feared would be a high number of injured, when she received word from a messenger that the army that arrived at the border was claiming to be friendly. Not only that but the leader of the army was claiming to be calling herself, the Arashikage.

It took another hour or so for the word to filter through the whole village and for the threat level to drop. Tsunade had arrived at the hospital after meeting with Danzo and the elders and told her that the Arashikage had requested a face to face meeting with Danzo and the request had been accepted. Whoever this person is, she would be here soon.

And now, Sakura and her friends stood at the front of the growing crowd waiting for the arrival of this so-called ally. Danzo and a large company of ROOT ninja stood near the entrance as the large doors finally began to open.

Standing at the entrance stood twenty ANBU ninja with two ninja, a male and a female in a hooded cloak, standing in the middle. Danzo was obviously taking no chances and made sure there was a large security force. As the man stepped forward Danzo instantly recognized him. "You're Ao," Danzo said. "Head security officer for the Fifth Mizukage. What are you doing here?"

"I was able to escape out of the village after the rebellion," Ao said. "And I was able to find aid in Amegakure with the Lady Arashikage."

Danzo cocked his head slightly and crossed his arms, "I'm sorry but I've no recollection of ever recognizing a new Kage. Especially from such a small country as Amegakure."

Just then the woman removed her hood and said, "What makes you believe Amagakure has ever required the recognition of outsiders to validate itself?"

"You," Danzo said, stunned.

"Whoa," Kiba said with a smile. "So that's the Arashikage? She's really hot."

"And deadly," Shino said. "Kiba don't you recognize her?" Kiba looked at her face as she and Danzo continued to talk. Realizing Kiba couldn't tell who it was Shino said, "That woman was here with Pain during his attack. She is Akatsuki."

Slowly the murmurs of the crowd became more and more hostile as others began to recognize Konan. "Hey," one ninja yelled. "I remember you! You were part of the attack three years ago! You killed some of my comrades!"

More and more people began getting upset and the crowd began to get even more hostile including Sakura and Ino who remembered that day. The day they lost several of their friends and family, including Kakashi, Shizune and Sakura's father.

Despite the growing hostility Konan remained stone faced and seemingly unconcerned. "She's no Kage," another ninja yelled. "Hokage-sama, we should just arrest her now!"

"Well," Danzo said smugly. "This is a very dangerous situation you've apparently walked into. Give me one good reason I shouldn't have you arrested right here and now."

"I can give you two," Konan said. "If you do that you will be turning your back on much needed aid. And I happen to know the identities of several traitors. One of which you would find very interesting I think. Would you like me to tell you who he is right now so everyone could hear his name?"

The smug smile on Danzo's face quickly faded as he looked at Konan and he said, "Come with me to my office so we can speak in private."

Surrounded by guards to protect her from the angry crowd Konan followed the Hokage to his office and entered the building.

"I don't get it," Sakura said angrily. "Why the hell would Danzo want to hear one thing she had to say?"

"Yeah," Tsunade said. "Something is not right."

Once they arrived in the upstairs office Danzo cordially offered Konan a seat as he walked over and sat behind his desk. "Alright Konan," Danzo said. "Why are you really here? According to the information given to me you left Akatsuki three years ago."

"I've already told you that," Konan responded. "I'm here to assist Konoha in the coming war."

"Perhaps," Danzo said. "Or perhaps you're here hoping that by killing me you weaken Akatsuki. Don't think I didn't know that for the past three years you've been amassing this small army of yours and hunting down all Akatsuki spies. I had a feeling you'd come after me eventually. But I never assumed you'd do so in such a brazen way."

Konan gave a little laugh and crossed her legs as she sat back in the chair. Danzo couldn't help but notice her sudden change in demeanor. Since she arrived, she had been stiff, wooden and emotionless. Now suddenly she seemed relaxed. All the tension had seemed to suddenly disappear out of her body and she even had a smile on her face. If Danzo didn't know any better he would think this was her office and not his.

"Don't worry Danzo," Konan. "I couldn't care less about you and your incessant need to protect your position. And if your people want to follow you like blind sheep to the slaughter that's there business not mine. How many of them you get killed is none of my concern either. Putting an end to Madara's plans is more important than holding on to old grudges."

"That's very brave of you to tell me something like that," Danzo said. 'What do you think would prevent me from notifying Madara of your location right now?"

"Maybe because Akatsuki has cut you loose," Konan said with a cryptic smile which instantly angered Danzo. "What," Konan asked. "You think I didn't know about that? Well it was pretty obvious that the last thing Madara needed you to do was take care of Naruto. You….predictably…..failed. And now you have outlived your usefulness. And just when you thought you were probably closer than ever in finding a way to heal yourself so you would have the power to kill Madara."

Danzo's eye went wide in astonishment and found himself speechless. "Yes Danzo I was also aware that you intended to betray Madara," Konan said. "And so was Madara. He knew that you were hoping to find a way to heal yourself of the negative affects of the ability Madara gave you. Why do you think Madara has chosen to move now? He knew you would get close to a cure by now, but not close enough."

"Right now the fate of Konoha will be the same as yours as far as Madara is concerned," Konan said. "So you really have two choices here. You can refuse me and I can take my men and leave you to your fate. Or you can accept the help and improve your chances for survival."

"Why did you leave Akatsuki," Danzo asked. "You were one of the original members. Few were more loyal than you."

"I'm sure Madara told you his thoughts on that," Konan answered sharply.

"I'd rather hear it from you directly," Danzo asked. "Did you really betray Akatsuki based solely on the words of the Nine Tails Host?"

"I was never loyal to Akatsuki," Konan answered. "I was loyal to the dream Akatsuki represented. Once Akatsuki turned from that dream I turned from it. It's as simple as that."

"The dream of Akatsuki," Madara wondered.

"Peace," Konan said. "That was always the dream of Akatsuki."

Danzo laughed. "Peace," he asked. "Peace is a joke. Only those with the power to control the world ever know peace. And even that peace is fleeting. The dream of Akatsuki is power Konan, even I know that. Peace was the dream of Pain, never Akatsuki."

"Nagato is Akatsuki," Konan replied. "And Akatsuki's dream was his. Now that dream resides within another."

Danzo cocked his head to side slightly and asked, "The Namikaze boy?" Konan nodded her head slightly in confirmation.

Danzo sat back in his chair and seemed to consider his options. "Very well," he said. "Konoha will accept your assistance. But I will require you and your army to remain outside the village. As you can see your presence here has caused a bit of a stir and it would be best to avoid any trouble."

"Of course," Konan said as she rose to her feet to leave.

"Funny isn't it," Danzo asked. "That you and I, after everything, would be allies against Akatsuki."

"I am not your ally Danzo," Konan responded. "Nor am I an ally of Konoha. I am here because Namikaze Naruto requested it. I am his pillar, a tool to be used as he sees fit." Konan then turned and silently left the room leaving Danzo to consider his next move.

As Konan walked down the hallway she could see Sakura standing just ahead of her in the center of the hallway glaring at her. As Konan tried to walk by Sakura slid in front of her to impede her way. Konan stopped and stared at Sakura who glared back at her. "Can I help you," Konan asked.

"I remember you," Sakura said. "You came here with Pain three years ago. My name is Haruno Sakura and you attacked my village and killed my sensei Kakashi Hatake, and one of your paper bombs killed my father."

Konan remained silent and showed no sign of emotion regarding Sakura's words. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't slam you through this wall right now," Sakura yelled angrily. She was getting so angry tears were welling in her eyes.

"At the time Konoha was my enemy," Konan said flatly.

Sakura's eyes went wide with shock and she yelled, "That's it! That's the only reason!"

"What other reason is there needed for ninja," Konan replied. "I didn't come here to apologize to you or to anyone. I'm not here to repent or find salvation. My purpose is to act in Namikaze Naruto's name."

"Naruto," Sakura asked. "What does he have to do with you?"

"He never told you did he," Konan asked. "After he defeated Pain, he and Nagato talked and it was through their conversation that they came to an understanding. And despite how hard it must have been for him, Naruto forgave Nagato and I for our actions."

"What," Sakura said in shock.

"He said that despite his hate for us the only way to change this world was to find forgiveness," Konan said. "So Naruto forgave Nagato and allowed me to leave. It was then I knew that Nagato's dream resided within Naruto and that I dedicated my life to that dream. Naruto is the one who asked me to come here and I am here without question. That is my resolve."

Konan then walked past Sakura who stood staring at the ground in a mixture of rage, sadness and confusion. "But I know your pain and loss. Such feelings are as intimate to me as a lover or child. And if it not for Naruto I would not be capable of forgiving Konoha enough for me to come here. But I have. But I also know such a thing is not easy for everyone. And if you find it impossible to forgive me. If you can't see past your need for revenge, I will not run. You know just where to find me."

Konan then walked down the hallway leaving Sakura standing alone. Sakura's fists were clenched tight and her entire body shook with rage. "Ahhhh," she screamed as she lashed out and punched the nearby wall, reducing it to a pile of rubble.

A few minutes later Konan exited the building surrounded by Konoha guards. As she walked out into the courtyard she found herself surrounded by dozens of angry citizens and ninja alike. It was clear that they had not forgotten her role in the attack several years ago and they certainly had not forgiven it.

"Hey there she is," said one man who ran up as close as he could get along with the rest of the large crowd.

"How dare you set foot in Konoha after what you did," one woman yelled.

"You should be put in chains," said another man.

As the crowd became increasingly hostile Kiba pushed through and got as close to Konan and her escorts and yelled, "You think you can just come here and say you want to help and that should make everything better," Kiba yelled angrily. "We've lost friends and family because of you people! You expect us to just forgive that!"

"Kiba-san," Hinata said as she tried to pull him away. "Please calm down."

"No way Hinata," Kiba yelled as Hinata and Shino tried to pull him back. "This bitch needs to be put to death for her crimes!"

"Kiba please stop," Shino yelled. "This won't solve anything."

Choji and Ino was also in the crowd and Ino quickly said, "Kiba is right. She helped Pain kill our comrades! Lady Shizune died at Pain's hand! She needs to pay!"

Konan remain emotionless as she and her guards continued to force their way through the hostile crowd. People were yelling and screaming at her. Wishing her death and pain. Tempers were rising when Sakura suddenly burst forth out of the Capitol building and ran into the crowd, forcing her way through.

Finally she reached Konan and screamed, "Stop it! Stop!" Sakura then fought her way between the crowd and Konan, separating them.

"What's wrong with you Sakura," Ino yelled. "Don't you know who this is! She's responsible for Shizune's death!"

"And she was there when Pain killed Kakashi," Kiba yelled. "Not to mention your father! He died that day too! We can't just let her go!"

"Don't you think I know that," Sakura yelled. "Don't you think I would like nothing more than to see her pay! But….we've got a bigger threat to Konoha right now! I know you're all scared and angry, but killing or putting her in prison won't help fix things now! Right now we need all the help we can get!"

"No way," yelled one ninja. "There's no way in hell I'm gonna work with her or her men!

"Yeah," yelled another man.

"Face it Sakura," Kiba yelled. "There's no way we can trust someone like her. I mean she doesn't even feel any remorse for what she did! You can see it in her face!"

Suddenly, much to Kiba's surprise, Sai was standing right next to him. "Sakura's right," Sai said. "We have bigger issues to face than settling old grudges. We have a war to win."

"Sai no," Sakura yelled. "Get out of here!"

"You," Kiba yelled. Kiba suddenly grabbed Sai by the arm. "I promised myself that if I ever saw you again I'd kick your ass," Kiba yelled as he threw a punch at Sai's face. "This is for betraying us to Danzo!"

Sai quickly blocked Kiba's punch and a fight quickly broke out as the crowd of people snapped and began pushing and shoving. It was clear a full blown riot was moments away. Sakura and the guards fought to keep people back as they tried to advance on Konan who still remained calm despite the growing danger.

Fights began to break out among the rioters as all control had seemed to be lost. Danzo and a small group of guards came outside to see the riot and yelled to his men, "Subdue all of them a place them all in holding! I also want an immediate curfew put in place! I want no one walking the streets!"

Sakura looked over her shoulder and saw Danzo's men advancing and knew things were about to get bad and a lot of people were going to get hurt.

Just then a large puff of white smoke appeared on the roof of the Hokage's building. The smoke was several stories high and covered the entire rooftop. Everyone stopped in their tracks and stared up at the roof to see just what was going on.

Slowly the smoke began to clear and with sun high above the figure was covered in shadow. But they could make out that the thing up there was large, very large as it easily covered the entire roof.

Sakura held her hand over her eyes to shade it from the sun and as she made out the figure she, along with everyone present realized it was a large orange toad with a blue vest. "That's Gamakichi," she said.

It was then they all seemed to noticed that someone was standing on Gamakichi's head. Everyone's eyes and face lit up as they recognized the familiar blonde figure standing with his arms folded glaring down at everyone below.

Here, at the moment when things seemed to be spiraling out of control. When all sense of hope and camaraderie was slipping away. When it had seemed they had reached the very edge of chaos…

...Naruto has returned.

End of Chapter Twenty

Next Time: WAR


	21. WAR

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to the Chronicles. **The story with over 300 reviews!** As always I begin by stating that I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

I'd like to thank all those who reviewed my previous chapter allowing me to achieve **over 300 reviews**: Exor; Gravenimage; xDARKNESS; FoxSage19; NaruSaku29; airnaruto45; Sevinsin; Greed03114; Kushina's Truth of Hell; Diamond Man; Komljenovic; Sasuke K; charles cdv; MyHikari; the Flying Lion and goldone5.

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**RESPONCES**

**Exor** - I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far and appriciate that you believe my story structure is staying mostly faithful to Japanese style. As it was important to me for my story to remain faithful to Kishi's style it was nice to see I may be pulling it off.

1. I have kept curing to a minimum as I know such language is even more taboo in thier society but every once and a while I'll throw one out there. Lol!

2. This frustrates me abit as i know they don't deal with relationships in a straight forward way most times and as far as this story is concerned I've been forced to treat it in the same way. But I think I've bee able to show the relationships favorably for the most part.

3. I love the zero to hero stories too. Just so long as they keep the cliche to a minimum that is.

**Gravenimage** - Horrible cliffhangers is what I do. Lol!

**xDARKNESS **- Well, i try to re-read my work twice to find errors. though some do get by unfortunately. I'm glad you liked sakura's confrontation of Konan and good luck in your exams.

**FoxSage19 **- Thanx.

**NaruSaku29** - Yep. I wanted my readers to remember that Konan did some horrible things and even though she may be a "hero" in my story she still has many crimes she has yet to pay for.

**airnaruto45** - Yes, indeed we do. The time for the final battle will soon arrive.

**Sevensin** - Thanx.

**Greed03114** - 1. My Madara is playing part mesiah, part doombringer, part gangster. Lol! And i thought i nailed Raikage's character. What about him seemd off? 2. Remember Shikamaru is 3 years older than the canon version. Plenty of time for a genious like him to increase his power, ablities and techniques. Glad you liked the other chapters as well.

**Diamond Man** - I hope you do enjoy every second of it. I have grand ideas for this war that will be much bigger in scale to anything you've read before in my story. I just hope I can pull it off.

**Komljenovic** - ha! Cliffhangers help to bring you guys back to see what's gonna happen next! Driving you guys crazy is fun! Glad you're enjoying the story.

**Kushina's **- PREDICTABLE! Wha! Huh! How! When did you figure it out? you must tell me! Yep, it's good to do a drama free scene. I'll try to sneak a couple more into the story but with things reaching the final battle it may be a bit difficult to do so. But we'll see.

**Sasuke k** - LOL!

**charles cdv **- Thanx.

**MyHikari **- Well, I'm glad my story was good enough to get you back despite making you think sakura had died. NejIno is all types of awesome if you think about it. Yes they've had no interaction in the canon but can't you easily picture them together? Go ahead, close you're eyes and picture it! ... ... ... Ok open you're eyes. Now tell me that wasn't hot! And yes, expect a few Narusaku scenes coming VERY soon. Lol!

**The Flying Lion **- Hmmm, I'm glad. TBH, to found Konan to be a bit challenging to nail down. I had to create several drafts of her dialogue before I was satisfied. And to me it made sense for her to be Hokage of the Rain. It would allow her to aid Naruto in his fight better.

**goldone5** - The toad did not break the building due to flexible manga science. Lol! Naruto returned early for a reason, which will be explained in this chapter. Don't worry, NS awesomeness is coming. Madara is playing people on different levels and portrays himself in any way needed at the time. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

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**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Alright so here is chapter twenty one of Book III. **Did I mention to thank everyone for sending me over 300 reviews!** Enjoy! And **please** remember to send a little **review** my way once done. Also, remember guys that **this will be the last chapter until Sunday January 9th. **That's right, Ramen is taking a break for the Xmas break! I hope you all have a great holidays and if you don't celebrate a holiday then just have as great a couple of weeks as you can and **I'll be back with a new chapter on 01/09/2011.** BYE!

**300! Whooo! LoL!**

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XXI: WAR

_******Konoha – Just outside the Hokage Residence******_

"Naruto," Kiba yelled as he and the entire mob began to run closer to the building.

"Yeah, it is Naruto," another ninja said with a smile on his face.

Naruto-kun, Hinata thought. Thank goodness you're back.

Naruto remained silent as he stared down at all of his friends, comrades and citizens of Konoha.

"It seems things are getting a bit out of control here Naruto," Gamakichi said with a smile.

"Yeah," Naruto said. "It looks like I got back just in time to put an end to this stupid shit."

"Ha! Aren't you usually the one who causes a ruckus," Gamakichi asked. "Now you plan to pun an end to one? You really have grown up haven't you?"

"Oh I wouldn't be too sure of that Gamakichi," Naruto said. Naruto then quickly leapt off of Gamakichi's head ready to head down. Naruto seemed to float in the air for a moment and turned to face his old friend. "Thanks for the help Gamakichi," Naruto said with a smile. "Looks like the word will spread quickly thanks to this."

"No problem Naruto," Gamakichi said with a smile and a salute. But his smile quickly faded as he said, "The next time we see each other it will be in battle."

"Yeah," Naruto said. "It's not a time I'm ready to see. But I'm happy to have you and your brother at my side." Naruto then quickly began to plummet to the ground far below as Gamakichi disappeared in a puff of white smoke.

Everyone rushed towards the spot where Naruto would land and just before Naruto landed a gust of wind seemed to appear underneath him which slowed his decent allowing him to land gently on the ground.

As Sakura ran up and tried to see Naruto through the crowd she could feel the sudden gust of wind and paused. _What was that_, she wondered. _It was almost as if he…?_

Naruto was instantly mobbed by the smiling faces of his friends and comrades who each seemed to vie for his attention. "Naruto your back," Ino yelled.

"How have you been Naruto," Kiba yelled.

"I've been better," Naruto said with a serious look that caused the smiles to fade from everyone's faces. Naruto then looked at all the faces that surrounded him and said, "I left Konoha and went to Suna for your benefit. Shikamaru and I put our lives on the line to save this village because we believe the people of Konoha are great people. You are people who value your friends, family and comrades. Yet what do I find when I come back? Fear…..hate…..anger."

Naruto then looked Kiba in the eyes and said, "Comrades against comrades." Naruto then again began to address the entire group and said, "Everyone listen to me. We are about to face the greatest challenge Konoha has ever faced. And I know in my heart we have what it takes to overcome that challenge. But only if we first forget old grudges and past pain."

"I've learned that in two days Akatsuki's armies will be at our borders," Naruto said causing the entire group to burst out into nervous talk and whispers. "But that doesn't matter," Naruto yelled over the crowd. "Because I know that if we can remember why we fight, for our family, for our comrades, for the generations that have come before and will come after, we can defeat Akatsuki once and for all."

"Those are just words," one visibly scared man said. "Akatsuki's forces number at nearly a hundred thousand. What do we do against those odds?"

With a eyes as hard as steel and full of conviction Naruto looked at the man with a hint of anger and said, "We will fight. We will win."

As everyone clamored to get Naruto's attention, Naruto made his way through the crowd and made his way to Danzo. Naruto could feel the anger rising inside of him as he stared at the man, but he also knew now was not the time for a fight. "We need to plan out how we're going to defeat Akatsuki Danzo," Naruto said. "And we need to start right away."

Danzo stared at Naruto for a moment in silence. _There's something different about him_, Danzo thought. _Something has changed. _

"You're right," Danzo said. "We have no time to waste. Fu, send word to all our elders and inform them of an immediate war meeting. Tell them to be here within the hour."

"Yes my Lord," Fu answered as he quickly left.

Naruto quickly turned and continued through the crowd as he tried to make his way to Konan. Just then he walked past Hinata and stopped and smiled. "Hey Hinata, how are you," he asked.

"I'm fine Naruto-kun," Hinata responded. "I'm glad you made it back alright. I was worried about you."

"No need to worry about me Hinata," Naruto said with a bright smile. "But how are you? With all this craziness going on I'm sure it's pretty weird."

Sakura stood next to Ino and watched as Naruto and Hinata happily talked and she couldn't help but frown. She knew she should be happy to see Naruto back safe and sound but she couldn't shake the sadness she felt that he didn't seem overly rushed to speak to her.

Noticing Sakura's mood, Ino whispered, "I'm sure he'll come speak to you next Sakura. It's probably because you were so far away that he got to her first."

"Naruto-kun," Hinata said. "I know you're busy but I was hoping we could talk in private when you have the chance. There is something we need to discuss."

Naruto took a deep breath and said, "Yeah, I agree. Ok, we'll talk soon ok?"

Naruto then turned and walked away as he tried to look through the crowd when he walked into Konan. "Hello Naruto," Konan said as she bowed. "It's a pleasure to see you again. I'm here as you requested."

Naruto placed his hand on Konan's shoulder and said, "There's no reason for a Kage to ever bow to someone of lower rank."

Konan stood up straight and gave a little smile. "Naruto," Konan responded. "You may not be a Kage but you are not of lower rank."

Naruto couldn't help but give a big smile at that. "I gotta think that's the best compliment I've heard in a long while. Anyway, I want you at the war council."

"I don't think Danzo will want that," Konan responded.

"Fuck Danzo," Naruto said. "You and your men will be putting your lives on the line just like we will. You should have as much say in our plans as any other!"

"Ok, maybe he's just preoccupied with war plans," Ino said as she and Sakura looked on. "I mean there's no way he and that woman would have a thing going on. Even though she is really pretty, older and powerful and has a really big pair of….."

"You're really not helping Ino," Sakura yelled. Sakura watched for a moment longer before sighing loudly. "You know what, I don't even know what I'm doing waiting for Naruto to talk to me like I'm some love sick school girl!"

"Hmm," Ino said with a wry smile.

"What," Sakura responded impatiently.

"Oh nothing," Ino replied. "I just couldn't help but notice how you said you were love sick."

Sakura's face turned bright red and she yelled, "Shut up Ino Pig!" Sakura then quickly turned and made her way out of the crowd. "I'm heading back to the hospital. I'm sure they'll need me there. If that idiot wants to speak to me he'll know where to find…"

Just then Sakura felt someone gently grab her arm and pull her around. To her surprise she found herself looking up into Naruto's warm blue eyes and disarming smile. "Where are you going Sakura-chan," Naruto asked. "Were you really going to leave without saying hi?"

Naruto let go of Sakura's arm and folded his arms and had a look of mock anger on his face. "That is so rude," he said jokingly. "And here I've been worried sick about you!"

"You've been worried about me," Sakura asked. Sakura tore her eyes away from Naruto and stared at the ground for a moment. Suddenly she became tense and she balled her hands into a fist. "You've been worried about me?"

Everyone standing nearby winced as they heard the crack of Sakura's fist against Naruto's head. Naruto crashed into the ground so hard that the upper half of his body was imbedded into the ground. Sakura then grabbed Naruto by the ankle and pulled him from the hole in the ground and dropped him on his butt.

"That's for sneaking out and going to Suna and almost getting yourself killed even though I expressly told you not to go," Sakura yelled. "Why do you always have to take such stupid risks! One day you're going to get yourself killed! And then I….I….." Sakura could feel the tears welling in her eyes and she quickly turned away from Naruto and crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "You're such an idiot," she whispered just loud enough for him to hear.

For a while there was nothing but silence until she heard Naruto laughing. Sakura slowly looked back and asked, "What's so funny." Sakura couldn't help but notice his smile. No matter what, his smile never faded.

Naruto slowly got to his feet and wiped some of the dirt off of him. "It's you," he said. "I'm just happy to see that no matter what, some things never change."

"Hey Naruto-kun," Sai yelled. "Danzo is looking for you. He wants to go over some things before the meeting."

"Right," Naruto said. Naruto then turned back to Sakura and said, "I'll see you at the meeting."

"What," Sakura responded. "I'm not of a high enough rank to be at that meeting."

"I thought you were Konoha's Senior Medical Advisor," Naruto asked.

"I am," Sakura said. "But…Danzo doesn't like me and besides he…."

"Sakura," Naruto said. "As much as I hate to admit it, this war may have casualties. A lot of casualties. We need to prepare for that as well. I think you need to be there so that we can plan for that."

"Danzo will never let me in that meeting," Sakura said.

Naruto turned to leave and said, "You let me handle Danzo. You just make sure you're there, understand?"

"Y..yes," Sakura said. She was somewhat surprised by the authoritative tone he had. It was then she noticed how tall he seemed. As he walked away he walked with the stride of someone in complete control and focus. And everyone around seemed to react to it.

A few minutes ago everyone was at each others throats. And then Naruto had returned and with a few words had taken control of the situation. Everyone was calm, some were even smiling. Several weeks ago Naruto left here a man and a hero. But he now had returned as something even more. He returned…..a leader.

_What happened to you while you were away Naruto_, Sakura thought as she watched him. She could feel the heat rise in her face and knew she was blushing despite herself. Sakura then saw Ino staring at her with a knowing smile and winked at her. Sakura quickly turned away even more embarrassed than before.

******Office of the Hokage – Later that day******

"So let me see if I understand this," Homura said as he stared at Naruto who was seated directly across from him. "You believe that Akatsuki's forces will arrive here in two days based on a dream you believe you had."

"Not a dream," Naruto said. "A vision. A vision given to me by Madara himself." Naruto sat at the large circular table surrounded by all the elders and military leaders of Konoha. Sitting just to his left was Sakura, then Konan, Might Guy, Nara Shikaku, Ibiki Morino and Utatane Koharu. While on the right of him was Lady Tsunade, Iruka Imino, Hiashi Hyuga, Yamanaka Inoichi, Ao of Kirigakure, Mitokado Homura and Danzo.

Naruto could feel himself getting more and more upset with the way this meeting was going. What he thought was going to be a session devoted to planning for the war turned out to be an inquisition headed by Homura who seemed more interested in proving he was a fool than preparing Konoha for battle.

"And why would Madara willingly give you such information," Koharu asked. "He must realize that he would give away a great tactical advantage."

"That's the point," Naruto said. "Madara gave this information because he is essentially saying it doesn't matter if we know when he's coming or not. His own arrogance is at work here."

"Or perhaps it's a trick," Homura said. "Even if this dream of yours was given to you by Madara, for all we know he wants you to think he attacks in two days only to force our hand."

"Dream or not one thing you can't deny is that Madara's forces out number our own by five to one," Tsunade responded. "The fact is we're in trouble one way or another."

"It could also make sense what Naruto is saying," Shikaku said. "We have no idea the full capabilities Naruto has if he has indeed fully synched with the Nine Tails. It could very well be possible for Madara to contact Naruto mentally."

"Is it possible for you to contact Madara mentally," Iruka asked. "If you could then we could probably learn more about his plans."

Naruto shook his head. "I've tried," Naruto said. "But according to the Nine Tails we can't break through Madara's mental defenses. Madara has trained his mind to defend himself from the Nine Tails' influence."

"Shit," Ibiki said. "It's like he knows our every move before we even think of it."

"I have a question," Homura said. "You recounted the entire conversation you had with Madara yet I don't understand how you were able to come away with the exact date of his attack."

Naruto took a deep, measured breath and then said, "At first I had missed it myself. During the vision, the sun went black. It was as if night had fallen in the middle of the day. For a while I had just assumed it was the dark power of the Jyubi that caused it. But then I realized it wasn't. It was the moon. The moon had moved in front of the sun."

"A solar eclipse," Hiashi said. "I see. Solar Eclipses only happen once every one hundred years. And the next one is scheduled for two days from now."

"Could that just be a coincidence," Guy asked.

"No," Tsunade responded. "Nothing Madara does is mere coincidence."

"Then we have two days to get our forces organized," Danzo responded.

"We'll need more than that," Ibiki said. "As Lady Fifth has said, Madara outnumbers our forces five to one even with the added forces of Konan."

Konan shot Ibiki a murderous glance and Ibiki quickly realized his mistake. "My apologies. I meant, Lady Arashikage. Even with her forces we are terribly outnumbered."

"What about my son," Shikaku asked.

"Yes," Danzo said. "Where is Shikamaru? We could certainly use him now. Why didn't he return with you Naruto?"

"I left Shikamaru in Suna with Gaara," Naruto said. "They went to Kumogakure to convince the Raikage to aid us in this battle."

"Ah," Shikaku said. "And my son agreed? That's so unlike him to work so hard."

"Well, whatever he said seems to have worked," Iruka replied. "Kumogakure called off their war against us and focused their efforts on Iwagakure. I appears Iwagakure tried to use the situation to attack them. But according to our sources Iwa was defeated."

"Any word on Shikamaru," Naruto asked.

Iruka shook his head. "Things are still messy there. And we don't have a great relationship with Kumogakure. We have no idea yet who survived the battle. But we did hear that the Raikage may have been gravely injured."

"Which means we may not receive the help of Kumogakure," Homura said. "Especially with the way things stand politically, they have no reason to help us."

"If they don't want to see their world destroyed and under Madara's rule they'll help," Tsunade said.

"Besides," Konan said. "Akatsuki kidnapped and killed his brother, the Eighth Host. The Raikage will surely come just for the chance at revenge alone." Sakura looked at Konan as she said those words and then to Naruto. She could see him tense up slightly and though no one else seemed to notice it, she could feel a rage swell up within him.

"But that's not exactly being one hundred percent sure is it," Homura said.

"Are you saying we should assume my son has failed," Shikaku asked, slightly annoyed.

"I'm saying we can't assume he succeeded," Homura responded. "Betting on such a thing can lead to a foolish death."

"Betting on Shikamaru to fail is also an easy way to lose a bet," Naruto responded. "He'll get the job done."

"Even still, two days isn't enough time for Suna and Kumo to marshal their forces and make it here," Danzo replied. "Like it or not we will have to face this alone. Which brings us to you, Ao. You are from Kirigakure are you not? You're also one of the Fifth Mizukage's most trusted advisors. How did you escape Madara's coup?"

"It wasn't easy," Ao replied. "During the coup Madara himself had wounded me badly." Ao stood up and raised his shirt up, revealing the nasty scar that made its way horizontally across his entire chest under his rib cage.

"You survived a wound like that," Iruka asked.

"Barely," Ao said as he sat back down. "Thanks to the Fifth, she was able to move me out of Madara's reach and as she fought with him I was able to crawl away until two of our guards found me. Despite my pleas they insisted on getting me out before going to assist the Fifth. They took me to a hidden escape route in the mansion and once inside I was taken to get medical attention. I lost consciousness from that point and I awoke several days later in a refugee camp in the Land of Forests. Once I was strong enough I made my way to Amegakure and sought out Lady Arashikage."

"Why would you look for her," Tsunade asked.

"Since Pain's death Madara took control of Akatsuki personally and moved them out of Amegakure," Konan replied. "It was my belief that he had moved the organization to a hidden location in the Land of Water. The Mizukage and I had formed an alliance in the hopes of flushing them out."

"It was the only place I could think of to find aid," Ao responded.

"Alright," Danzo said. "We should begin deciding on how we should organize our forces."

Several hours went by as the group planned things out before the door to the meeting room finally opened. Danzo was the first to exit and Fu, along with several guards were waiting. "I want you to begin gathering every capable person we have in the village who can fight. Even if they are not trained ninja I want them gathered."

"We're going to use untrained citizens," Fu asked.

"Men, women, even children," Danzo said. "We can't afford to be picky in this situation. If they can hold a sword they will fight. If they refuse tell them they have one choice. They will either fight Akatsuki or be killed by Akatsuki. Now go."

Fu and the group quickly disappeared just as Konan arrived. "I'll be leaving to prepare my men," she said. Danzo and Konan shared a tense stare before each walked away.

Just then Naruto came running out. "Lady Konan," he yelled. "I need to speak to you."

"Of course Naruto-kun," she said. "How may I help you?"

"You said back there that Kisame Hoshigaki was the one most likely to have been sent to capture Kirabi sensei is that right," Naruto asked.

"Yes," she replied. "Of all the living Akatsuki members who would have been sent to capture him only Kisame could have done it alone."

"I see," Naruto said. "Can you tell me everything you know about him?"

As the room cleared out Sakura remained seated. She couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed by all she had heard. Over the past few years she had gotten used to the constant fighting, but this was different. War, a real war, was finally coming to Konoha.

Sakura looked down at the notes she had taken from the meeting and began to read over them. During the meeting it had been decided that their forces be divided into six separate Divisions to handle specific missions during this battle. Sakura couldn't help but focus on the names of the people she knew in each division.

Division One was the Sensor Division. Their mission was to locate and recognize enemy locations and capabilities. The Captain was Ao of Kirigakure and Hinata, her sister Hanabi and Aburame Shibi were members of that company.

Fighters had been separated into three divisions. Division Two was the Close Range Fighter Division. Hyuga Hiashi was chosen to be Captain of that Division and Iruka, Might Guy and Konohamaru were part of the group.

Division Three is the Mid Range Fighter Division and is captained by Nara Shikaku and Izumo, Choji and his father Choza are members of that division.

Division Four is the Long Range Fighter Division which is captained by Yuhi Kurenai. TenTen, Inuzaka Hana, Nara Yoshino and Kotetsu will be in that division.

Division Five is the Special Operations Division that would deal with special threats and missions. Yamato was declared Captain and Sai, Aburame Shino, Ibiki and Inuzuka Tsume are members of the group.

Sakura paused as she came to final bit of notes she had on the group Divisions. The sixth and final division was the Medical Logistics Division. Almost all the medical ninja's were in this Division including Ino and Moegi. But it was the name next to Sixth Division Captain that caught her eye. Division Captain: Haruno Sakura.

Sakura sat back in her seat and took a deep measured breath. _Why me_, she thought. But she already knew the answer. Because she had asked the question out loud when she was made Captain during the meeting. Tsunade answered that she would be needed elsewhere and thanks to her training Sakura was the most qualified for the position.

And then there was Naruto, who hadn't been added to any of the Divisions at all. Danzo and the other elders wanted him to remain in the village and much to her surprise, Naruto actually agreed. He said there was another way that he could help them fight and he would speak to them later about his idea.

Sakura sighed deeply and got to her feet, gathered up her papers and left the room. As she entered into the hallway she saw Naruto and Lady Konan speaking in hushed tones a few yards away.

Sakura could see the tension and anger in Naruto's expressions. She couldn't hear what they were talking about but she knew it was upsetting him. Sakura was then able to make out one word. Naruto had said, "Kirabi." Instantly she knew what the topic was.

Sakura decided now wasn't the time to interfere with their conversation. Whatever Naruto and Konan were speaking about was not something for her to get in the middle of now. Besides, she had concerns of her own. She had a war to prepare for.

Meanwhile, out in the darkness of the night, in the deep dark woods, still many miles away, the sound of thousands of footsteps could be heard as thousands of men march towards Konoha, bent on its destruction. Like a wave it slowly consumed everything ahead of it on its march to destiny.

Akatsuki, in all its terrifying glory, is on the move.

End of Chapter Twenty One

Next Time: Konoha's Shield and the Will of Fire


	22. Konoha's Shield and the Will of Fire

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome bak to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I like to begin by stating that I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed my previous chapter: maliousdei; The Flying Lion; EmpKaylenatye; Gravenimage; xDARKNESS; airnaruto; Kushina's Truth of Hell; Diamond Man; Sevinsin; Komljenovic; Sasuke K; holydemon90; MyHikari; Pinulu; Greeod03114 & ZeroTail29.

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**RESPONCES:**

**maliousdei** - I'm glad that Sakura's reaction didn't rub you the wrong way. And I really wanted everything that Naruto has gone through in previous chapters highlight the final transformation into a leader.

**The Flying Lion** - LoL! Yes, Konan does have some...advantages doesn't she? LoL! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter.

**EmpKaylenatye** - Well, if you liked the brief NS moment you'll love this chapter. ;) And yes, not much happened, but tons happened! Exactly what I'm going for in chapters such as that one.

**Gravenimage** - Thank you for praise. Coming from an accomplished fanfic author means alot. And sticking to the core canon for charactization is very important for me.

**xDARKNESS** - The action is coming my friend. More action than you can imagine. Bland? Well, considering he didn't arrive just in time to fight I guess it wasn't as epic but you'll soon understand why I didn't go for a last minute return. Besides don't you think that's a little played out. Especially in Naruto. And Happy Holidays (belated) to you too.

**airnaruto45** - Wut? LMAO! I love how you just put anything and consider that a review. Oh, well. It still counts I guess.

**Kushina's** - Ahhh! You caught me? How disappointing. Oh well, you can't surprise them all I guess. So you liked the beginning of the chapter? So does that mean you didn't like the end? LoL!

_HAPPY BIRTHDAY KUSHINA-CHAN!_

**Diamond Man** - Sigh, I hope I can pull off this final war. I have a bunch of crazy ideas and I just hope I can translate it well. But I appreciate the confidence you have in me. Hope you had a Happy Holidays.

**Sevensin** - The break was much needed, trust me. And I feel completely recharged and ready to go! Hope you had a great holidays as well!

**Komljenovic** - Sometimes I will drag things out a bit. But not too much that it gets annoying I hope.

**Sasuke K **- LoL! Maybe just a little. :D

**holydemon90 **- Glad you enjoyed the chapter! Makes me feel good that you did.

**MyHikari** - Wut! My precious Ino with that mutt! No way! LoL! But I respect your preferance. But I hope I at least helped you to see how a NejIno pairing could work. No, this war is going to get ugly, and not everyone is going to survive it. (hint!)

**Pinulu **- DUDE! You finished basic! Congrats Private! I'm sure they kicked your ass good but your a better man now than when you went in! And I'm happy to see that despite it all you never forgot to come back and catch up on this story. I salute you!

**Greedo3114** - Considering the fact that Madara is the main villain I wanted to expand on his reasoning for what he's doing. I plan to cover it a bit more as I go on so hopefully he will remain interesting throughout.

The Raikage, during his fight with Sasuke, was facing the man who he believed kidnapped his brother. While against the Tsuhikage he was merely fighting an enemy. So there is a reason why he was so animated against Sasuke yet calmer against Onoki. Perhaps that's the best reason I can give for the differences in thier attitude.

Well, I try not to get bogged down by being overly technical or descriptive. Most of all I want the story to flow freely allowing you to imagine and fill in the blanks where you see fit. As for Sakura, her "bouncing" is something I'm doing purposfully. I believe that Kishi created Sakura to be the "normal" person in the midst of the other two fantastical characters. she is affected by the chaos around her and I just wanted to continue this thread and to show that, like many people, all this craziness would affect you emotionally and cause a constant shifting of emotions.

**ZeroTail29** - Glad you liked the chapter and what I did with the Divisions. Hope you continue to enjoy Naru...I mean Zerotail. Lol!

* * *

**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Ok, so as promised I have returned from my vacation with a new chapter! I hope you all enjoyed the holidays and are excited about the new year! New Year, New opportunities, less bull shit! that's my motto! Anyway, here is chapter 22. Enjoy and **please** remember to leave a little **review** when done. And just because you guys have been so patient I reward you with an extra long chapter! Yay!

* * *

Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XXII: Konoha's Shield and the Will of Fire

_******Konoha Cemetery – Late Night******_

"_Here lies Rock Lee._

_The Green Dragon of Konoha."_

Naruto stood motionless reading the words on the headstone over and over. If anyone had asked him how long he'd been standing there he wouldn't be able to answer. For him time seemed to have stopped the moment he entered the cemetery.

His eyes were reddened from fallen tears and both his fists were clenched so tight his fingers hurt. Too many times Naruto had been forced to come to this place to mourn the loss of someone close to him. From the Third Hokage all the way to Rock Lee, Naruto was forced to feel the helplessness of loss and the frustration of failure time and again.

Every time he stood here he wondered if there was something he could have done differently. Something he didn't see or notice that could have prevented this. But in the end the answer never comes. Because there is none. Because no answer can reverse time. No answer can breathe life into the lifeless. In the end, no answer is ever good enough.

"You really should put on a jacket Naruto," Tsunade said as she walked up to Naruto. Iruka was with her and they both could see the pain in his eyes. "It's a bit chilly out here."

"This has to stop," Naruto said. "I'm tired of having to come here. I'm tired of having to say good bye. We have to put an end to Akatsuki. All of it. It has to end. They have caused too much pain."

"Naruto," Iruka said. "You mustn't blame yourself…."

"No Iruka-sensei," Naruto said as he interrupted Iruka. "I don't blame myself. Not anymore. I remember what you said to me and you were right. Akatsuki is to blame. Madara is to blame. The hate Madara represents is what caused this. Lee…he chose to stand against that hate. For me….for all of us. He died to protect all of us and I…..I'm….I'm proud of him."

Iruka and Tsunade couldn't help but slime at Naruto. You really have grown up Naruto, Iruka thought. You've really become a man.

"Iruka," Tsunade said. "Do you mind if I talk to Naruto alone?"

"Of course not Lady Fifth," Iruka said. "I should return to help with the preparations. Naruto, we'll talk some other time ok?"

"You got it," Naruto said with a smile. After Iruka walked away Tsunade walked up and hugged Naruto tightly. The move caught Naruto off guard at first before he finally hugged back.

"You really know how to make people worry about you boy," Tsunade said as she let go. "Come Naruto, walk me home."

Naruto and Tsunade walked through the cemetery in silence. Naruto could hear the sounds of crickets and bugs as they went about their business in the darkness. A few fire flies were flying about.

Eventually they walked out of the cemetery and back into the village where every street was silent. The homes were all boarded up and not a soul could be seen or heard. As soon as the first meeting was completed this afternoon Danzo had ordered every citizen capable of fighting to the main barracks for training while those men too old, sick or injured, along with the women and young children to be sent to the shelter in the Hokage Mountain leaving the village a ghost town.

As they walked down the streets the only noise that accompanied them was the sound of their own footsteps and the wind. "This is depressing," Naruto said.

"War always is," Tsunade responded. "It's always a sad thing to see such a lively place turned into something like this."

"No, not that," Naruto said. "It's the people. My friends and the other ninja. The citizens. They're all….scared. I know this won't be easy. But I've never seen them like this before. It's like they've all forgotten who they are and what we stand for. I never dreamed that that I would see cowardice in their eyes. It's….disappointing."

Tsunade suddenly stopped in her tracks causing Naruto to stop. Before he could ask what's wrong she punched him in his head. "Ahh," Naruto yelled as he rubbed his bruised head. "What was that for!"

"That was for being an idiot and having no respect for war," Tsunade said before continuing to walk. "Naruto, what we are about to face will be unlike anything the people of this village has ever faced in their lifetime. "

"We've all been in fights before Granny," Naruto said.

"That's just it Naruto," Tsunade said. "This isn't just some fight! We're facing an enemy that out numbers us and want nothing but our destruction. And it scares them Naruto. It terrifies us all."

"Hmpf," Naruto said. "I've been doing nothing but fighting for years! I spent three years hunting and being hunted by Akatsuki!"

"But they haven't Naruto," Tsunade yelled. Both Naruto and Tsunade walked on in silence for a few moments she tried to calm herself. "Naruto, is it still your dream to become Hokage?"

Naruto looked at Tsunade for a moment and then said, "Yes. At least I think it is. I always saw becoming Hokage as the way I could attain the recognition of the village. But lately, I've realized it's more. I've been learning that that being Kage comes with as many negatives as positives. I had recently talked to Gaara. And even though I could see that he was happy to be the Kazekage I could see the burden it placed on him. And to be honest, I'm not sure if I can handle it."

"Hmm, I see," Tsunade said as she and Naruto came up the path leading to her home. "Then you really are ready."

"I am," Naruto asked. "I don't get it. I just told you I'm scared to death of ever becoming Hokage."

"I know," Tsunade said. "And that is what will make you a good leader, because you realize and respect the burden it will place on you." Tsunade laughed lightly then said, "You know I always wondered how good of a choice it was to make Gaara the Kazekage. But now I know it was the right choice. He really taught you something didn't he?"

"Maybe," Naruto said. "But it still doesn't change the fact that everyone here is so full of fear. To see them turning on each other like that. It was a disgrace."

Naruto and Tsunade walked up to the gate to Tsunade's property and Naruto opened the door for her. As they passed through the gate Tsunade sighed and said, "Naruto, for you becoming Hokage has always been about being able to protect everyone. But I don't think you fully comprehend it. To be Hokage is to be a shield for the people, not just a blade."

"What do you mean Granny," Naruto asked as they continued up the path.

"Protecting the people is not just about protecting them from all physical threats,' Tsunade said. "Because you can't. Not really. Such a task is impossible for one man. Sometimes the best way to protect the people is to give them the strength to protect themselves. To do so you must protect them from their own fear. Inspire them to greatness. That is what it means to be Hokage."

Naruto and Tsunade came up to her door and Naruto opened for her and allowed her to pass in. Inside there was already a fire going in the fireplace and the home was warm and well lit. "Come with me Naruto," Tsunade said as she walked into the living room where he saw the metal box, his father's gift to him, sitting on low table in the center of the room.

"Granny Tsunade," Naruto said. "I know what you're trying to say but…..I've never been good at giving inspirational speeches and crap like that. I'm more of a man of action kind of guy."

Tsunade laughed and said, "Yes, you are an idiot who acts before he thinks alright. The way things worked out it's almost as if Minato knew you would be. I think that's why he left this for you."

Tsunade then sat in front of the box and opened it and looked in its contents as Naruto stood behind her. "Naruto, when I first gave this to you all you took from it was the scroll. Most likely because you believed that only the scroll had any practical use. Am I right?"

"Well, of course Granny," Naruto said. "I mean the scroll had the jutsu instructions and a letter to me. Everything else is just heirlooms."

Tsunade shook her head slightly and said, "No, this is not just an heirloom." Tsunade then reached into the box, removed an item and stood up. She faced Naruto and allowed him to see it. "This was a symbol of your father. He was a shield to the people and he wore this so that all who saw him, friend or foe, would know it. He left this for you in the hope that you too would become a shield."

Naruto gently took the item in his hands and opened it out so he could see the whole thing. As he inspected it, Tsunade walked around him. "The time has come Naruto, to truly become the man your parents wanted you to be. The man this village needs," Tsunade said.

Naruto smiled when he saw what she meant. "The man this village needs," he whispered. Naruto stared at the words and could feel the tears welling in his eyes. _Be a shield for the people_, he thought. With a smile and a look of determination Naruto yelled, "Yeah, Granny Tsunade! I can do that!"

_******The Next Day – Office of the Hokage - Just before Noon******_

Danzo and the other elders were in the meeting room reviewing the preparations for the war. "Are your men ready Shikaku," Danzo asked.

"As ready as we can get," Shikaku said. "The ninja are doing everything they can to prepare the citizens who volunteered to help in the fight. But they are woefully under prepared. I'm not sure how well they'll do."

"Well, they don't have much of a choice do they," Danzo said impatiently. "Our ninja alone aren't capable of fighting this war alone. If the citizens of Konoha want to maintain their freedom they will have to fight for it. It's as simple as that."

Danzo then looked to Sakura who was still poring over her documents. "And how about the preparations in the medical division?"

Sakura looked up too see all eyes trained on her. Looking at all of the age and experience surrounding her she couldn't help but wonder what the hell she was doing here in this room. "I…I...ahh," she stuttered. Sakura then looked over at Tsunade who smiled warmly. Sakura suddenly felt herself relax and she said, "Things could be better. We are understaffed and lack enough equipment. I created a new and improved formula for my soldier pills and I have some of the staff creating them in mass quantities now. But we could really use more people."

"That sounds more like excuses rather than results," Danzo said. "Perhaps I need to clarify the situation. Personally I don't think it is necessary to have a medical division. I think it would best to have the medical ninja's intergraded with the other divisions. However, Tsunade insisted that having a separate division would be necessary so I chose to follow that advice despite the fact that Tsunade chose to have her apprentice lead that division instead of herself."

"Sakura has learned everything I have to teach," Tsunade said defiantly. "She has as much knowledge at this point as I do. Besides, this job will require someone young and strong to handle things."

"So you've said," Danzo responded. "Never the less, we are short on men and equipment and I will not send anymore to help heal troops when they should be fighting."

"With more men we can heal the injured faster and get them back in the field," Sakura responded. Danzo remained silent and glared at her and she quickly realized this was not a fight she was going to win. "Fine," she said. "Then I have another idea. Instead of keeping the entire division in Konoha we should split it in half and send half out to make a temporary camp out in the battle field."

"Why would you want to do that," Danzo asked.

"Some of our men may be too injured to make it all the way back to Konoha," Sakura replied. "If we have a temporary unit stationed closer we could save more lives."

"They'd also be closer to the battle and in greater danger," Tsunade said.

"It's a risk we'll have to take," Sakura said.

"Fine," Danzo replied. "Make the preparations and the unit will move out with the rest of the troops. But do you have any plans for who will lead the section that will be sent out in the field?"

"I will," Sakura responded without hesitation.

"Sakura," Tsunade exclaimed as she prepared to protest the decision.

"I have to be the one to go," Sakura said. "Things could get bad out there and we may need someone to think on their feet. I'll go and I can leave Ino in the village to run things here."

"You'd be taking quite a risk," Iruka said. "Are you sure?"

Sakura nodded leaving everyone in the room silent.

"Very well," Danzo said. "I'll leave you to make the necessary preparations." Danzo then looked across the table to the one empty chair. He didn't hide his anger at the fact that Naruto was not there. "And just where is Namikaze," he asked.

As if on cue, the wooden double doors swung open and Naruto stood at the entrance. Everyone turned to look at him and everyone's eyes grew wide. Some of them, Danzo included, were slack jawed as Naruto confidently strode into the room and walked around the desk towards his seat.

"Is that," Sakura whispered as she stared at Naruto who was wearing a familiar long white coat with short sleeves and flame-like motifs at the edges. At first she couldn't believe it and thought perhaps she had made a mistake. But as he passed by she could see the words written on the back and she knew she was not mistaken. On the back was written the words: _Yondaime Hokage. _

"Sorry I'm late everyone," Naruto said with a smile. He couldn't help but feel exhilarated by the reaction of the room. Everyone stared in awe and confusion. It was no longer a secret that Naruto was the son of the Fourth. Hell they had started calling him Namikaze. But for him to wear the Fourths' jacket to a meeting with Danzo?

"I was busy taking care of some business," Naruto said with a smile as he sat down.

"And what could be so busy that you would be late for this meeting," Homura asked impatiently.

"Ichiraku ramen," Naruto said that shocked everyone in the room. Except for Sakura and Tsunade who didn't seemed too surprised at all. "I wanted to have some before Ayame was evacuated. And I just made it too. I was able to convince her to give me some and it was delic…"

"Enough," Danzo yelled as he got to his feet. "We are in the middle of planning for a battle for the fate of the village not to mention your own. How dare you arrive late with such a stupid excuse?"

"Stupid," Naruto asked. "Have you ever tasted her ramen? That stuff is not stupid. Besides, me starving to death can't be good for winning this war can it?"

Sakura, Tsunade and Iruka couldn't help but giggle a bit at Naruto's response which seemed to anger Danzo further. "And that coat," he asked. "Who gave you permission to wear it?"

"My father did when he decided to leave for me," Naruto responded angrily.

"And for what purpose are you wearing that here," Danzo asked.

"That is none of your business," Naruto answered.

"Everything you do is my business," Danzo said.

Naruto rose to his feet and glared at Danzo and said, "I don't think so Danzo. I don't care if you don't like my taste in clothes. If you want me to take this jacket off then come over here and do it yourself."

"Alright," Tsunade said as she tugged at Naruto's sleeve. "Let's put an end to this pissing contest. We have more important things to do now. Naruto sit down. You too Danzo."

Eventually both men returned to their seats and the meeting continued and after several more hours everyone left the room and went off to make their final preparations. It had been decided that all units move out at dawn tomorrow so there was little time.

Naruto stepped out of the building into the chill night air. He looked around to see if Sakura was any where in sight but she wasn't. She had seemed a bit distracted during the meeting but he could understand why. Sakura had recently been put in charge of her own division and tasked with healing the injured during this war. Lives were in her hands and the weight of that had to be heavy. He wanted to speak to her but she had left the room immediately after the meeting and took off before he could catch up.

_Oh well_, Naruto thought as he shrugged. _I'll speak to Sakura-chan later. I'm running late enough as it is. _

Naruto looked around at the quiet streets and frowned. The eerie silence of the ghost town that was once Konoha was un-nerving. Taking a deep breath Naruto walked off towards the bridge where he and Hinata had spoke to each other after his return over a month ago. Hinata had asked to speak to him and Naruto suggested meeting there.

As he got closer he saw Hinata standing on the bridge watching the water flowing. "Sorry I'm late Hinata," Naruto said. "That pointless meeting took forever."

Hinata blushed as she turned towards Naruto. "Oh no it's ok Naruto-kun," she said. "I understand how busy you are and how important you are."

Naruto gave a small smile and said, "Important?" Naruto leaned over the railing of the bridge and looked at the reflection of the moon on the water. "For years I worked my ass off to one day become important. Now it feels more like a burden than a blessing." "Naruto-kun," Hinata said as she looked at Naruto.

Naruto looked at Hinata and smiled. "Ah, I shouldn't be talking to you about my problems," Naruto said. "How are you Hinata? Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"Of course Naruto-kun," Hinata replied with a bright smile. "I've trained hard and I'm not afraid at all!"

"Oh really," Naruto said with a dubious smile.

Hinata let go a deep sigh like deflating balloon. "Alright Naruto-kun," she said. "The truth is I'm terrified. I've never been in anything like this. The whole village seems on edge. And I just don't know what to expect."

Naruto laughed a bit and said, "Hinata you've gotten real strong over the last few years. I'm happy to see how far you've come. You don't seem like the same old Hinata anymore. I'm positive you'll do just fine."

Hinata smiled. Naruto's re-assuring words had settled her nerves a bit. "Thank you Naruto-kun," she said as she bowed slightly. "Umm Naruto-kun, I know you probably don't have much time so maybe we should talk about why I asked to see you."

"Right," Naruto said with a smile as he scratched the back of his head.

Hinata took a deep breath and closed her eyes. _C'mon Hinata_, she thought. _You've practiced this speech for days now. _

"Hinata," Naruto asked with a puzzled look on his face. "Are you ok?"

"Oh," Hinata exclaimed as she blushed. "Yes, yes. I was just trying to gather my thoughts." Hinata then stopped and stared into Naruto's eyes. "Naruto," she said. "What do feel for me?"

_******Meanwhile******_

Sakura quickly walked through the forest just outside Konoha towards Konan's camp. Konan wasn't at the last meeting and throughout most of the meeting all she could think about was her and the things she had told her. Sakura could picture Naruto speaking with her after their first meeting and she knew she had to speak to Konan immediately.

Finally she could see the glow from the several campfires in the distance as she approached. Sakura then heard a rustling coming from the trees above. She didn't have to look up to know that that was an ANBU ninja signaling his presence. Danzo had allowed Konan and her men to remain camped outside the village but he made sure they were watched at all times. As a result about two dozen ANBU were stationed hidden in the trees all around the camp site watching them at all times.

Finally Sakura broke through the last of the bushes out into the clearing where all of the Arashikage's men sat around laughing and talking as they made their final preparations before leaving for battle. It amazed her how calm and relaxed they all seemed. It was a stark contrast to the anxiety in her village.

A group of ninja's closest to her stopped talking and stared at her. One of them, a short man with dark hair and an extremely muscular build, got to his feet and walked over. "Can I help you," he asked.

"My name is…," Sakura said but the man waived her off before she could finish.

"I already know who you are," the man said. "And I know why you're here."

"You do," said a surprised Sakura.

"Yes," he responded. "Lady Arashikage notified us that you might show up. I'll take you to her."

Sakura followed as the man lead her into the heart of the camp site where thousands of men and women sat in small groups or separately. Some were laughing as they ate, drank or made final preparations. Some slept while others still sat alone checking their gear. Again the one thing Sakura noticed was the distinct lack of fear. It was as if none of them realized the challenge and odds they would soon face.

Finally the ninja led her into the very center of the camp, where she could see Konan, her back turned to her, sitting on a stool and a makeshift table with a large, nearby camp fire providing her with light. Konan was pouring over maps of the region, no doubt studying where best to place her men.

Sakura and her guide walked up behind Konan in silence and before the man could speak Konan said, "So you finally came, Haruno Sakura?"

Realizing Konan already knew Sakura was there the man turned and left in silence leaving the two women. "How did you know I was here," Sakura asked.

"One of my men saw you arrive and came ahead to tell me," Konan responded as she continued studying the maps. Suddenly another man came by with a stool and placed it in front of Konan and walked away without saying a word. "Please sit Sakura-chan," she said as she gestured to the seat. "You you care for some food or water. We don't have much but we're willing to share."

"No. And I'd rather stand if that's alright with you," Sakura responded harshly as she stood in front of Konan.

"I see," Konan said as she looked up from the maps. "So, why are you here?"

"You tell me," Sakura responded. "Since you seemed to know I would come here I'm sure you knew the reason."

"You have come here to achieve your revenge," Konan said. "Either that or you want to know what Naruto-kun and I have been talking about. My money is on option two."

"What makes you think that," Sakura said.

"Let's just call it women's intuition," Konan responded.

"Hmpf," Sakura said. "You sure seem cocky Konan despite being so close to an entire village that may want you dead."

Konan crossed her arms and regarded Sakura for a moment. "Many people would like to see me dead. Why should I consider this any different?"

Sakura gritted her teeth. Konana's attitude was really getting to her. "Do you always act like such a bitch," she asked.

Konan smiled and said, "You know, I would think someone like you would know how to speak to a Kage with more respect."

"Giving yourself a stupid title doesn't mean you get you instant respect," Sakura responded. "Respect is earned."

Konan clapped slowly several times and smiled. Then she said, "Well said, Sakura-chan. Very well said. I can see now what Naruto-kun sees in you."

Sakura had a look of surprise on her face and said, "What did Naruto tell you about me?"

"He's told me as much about his feelings for you as you have told me about your feelings for him," Konan responded. "Which is to say nothing at all."

"Then how do you know anything," Sakura asked.

"Intuition," Konan said. "It's a pesky thing you know. It's obvious you care about him because you've come all the way out here on his behalf despite wanting nothing more than to smash my head on a rock."

"And how do you know that," Sakura asked.

"Your hands are shaking," Konan responded. "It's obvious that you're trying your best not to give in to your basic instincts to attack me. Every fiber in your body is screaming for revenge for your father. Yet you hold back. So revenge is not why you're here. So it must be Naruto-kun."

"And what if I did come here for revenge," Sakura said.

"Then we can find a private place to fight," Konan Said. "I'm not going to hold back though. Even though killing you isn't something I'd want to do."

"Why would you not want to kill me if I attacked you," Sakura asked.

Konan sighed. "You still don't get it do you Sakura-chan," she said. "How many ninja have you or your comrades killed over the years. How many of them were killed because of a personal vendetta? Not many I would assume. Most died because they simply prevented you from completing your mission. We're ninja Sakura-chan. Killing for us is rarely personal. It's business. So just because you have a reason to hate me doesn't mean I have one for you."

Sakura could feel the tension drain away as she finally decided to sit. Taking a deep breath she looked around at all the people moving about. "Your people," she said. "They seem so relaxed. Don't they realize that by tomorrow morning we'll all be on a battlefield?"

Konan couldn't help but laugh at Sakura's words. "Sakura," she said. "Every man and woman here was born and raised in the Land of Rain. It's a small country surrounded by the other large ones, including your own. As a result it has been used as the battleground for many wars."

Konan looked around at the faces of her soldiers and said, "We've all lost someone precious to us from one war or another. Going to war is as mundane for us as going to the hospital to do your rounds is for you. Which is why, in the end we try to enjoy these brief moments of peace. But I'm sure you didn't come out here to talk about the struggles of my homeland. What do you want?"

Sakura stared at Konan and in that moment she came to understand this woman a bit better and she could feel some of her hostility fade. "I need your help," Sakura said as she finally decided to get to the point. "Please tell me everything you know about Hoshigaki Kisame."

Konan could help but smile to herself after hearing Sakura's question. _Intuition indeed_, she thought.

_******Meanwhile******_

Naruto stared down at the doe eyed Hinata finding himself speechless. He had broken into a sweat and was stuttering severely. "W-w….umm….I….ah…wh…what did you….umm," Naruto muttered.

"How do you feel about me," Hinata asked again as she stared at Naruto.

Naruto turned bright red as he could feel queasiness in his stomach. It had been a long time since he'd felt this nervous. "Well Hinata, I uhh, think…..you're a great girl," he said with a smile.

Hinata expression suddenly seemed reflective in a way as if a great realization had come to her. "I'm a great girl," she responded. "But….you don't love me do you? Not like I love you."

Naruto took a deep breath and he seemed to grow a bit sad as he said, "Hinata, I'm sorry. I just…"

Before Naruto could finish Hinata smiled and said, "It's alright Naruto-kun. To be honest I've kind of always known. I just…needed to hear you say it, so I could move on."

"Hinata," Naruto said. "You really are a great person. And I know one day you will meet a guy who will make you really happy."

"I know Naruto-kun," Hinata responded. "You know, for all these years you've inspired me and helped me to get stronger and I just wanted to thank you for that."

Naruto laughed and said, "No offense Hinata, but you're an idiot. I wasn't the one who made you stay late to train. I wasn't the one who forced you to keep going no matter how tired or beat up you were. The reason you're stronger today isn't because of me. But because of your own strength. I didn't inspire you to become stronger. You are your own inspiration."

Hinata giggled and said, "Yeah. I guess you're right Naruto-kun. When did you get so wise?"

"I've been reading a lot of books," Naruto said with a smile.

"Really," Hinata asked.

"Nah," Naruto said which led to mutual laughter.

Naruto and Hinata then hugged. "Thank you Naruto-kun," Hinata said, "for everything."

"You're welcome Hinata," Naruto responded.

_******Later that night******_

Sakura walked down the lonely path towards Lady Tsunade's home. After her talk with Konan she had decided to go home to sleep in her own bed tonight. With everyone marching out to battle tomorrow she figured this may her last chance to do so. But once there she couldn't stand the cold silent feel of the place. Her mom had already been evacuated, as had everyone else. And she didn't want to be alone or spend the night with the other ninja's who were talking about nothing but the war. If tonight was going to be her last night of relative peace she was going to spend it happy.

Sakura used her key to open the door to Tsunade's home and walked in. All of the rooms were dark and there was no sound coming from anywhere. Sakura walked to Lady Tsunade's room and opened it gently and looked to see if she were asleep. Sakura wasn't surprised to see the bed was empty. _She must be somewhere helping to prepare for the fight_, she thought.

Sakura sighed and closed the door. She then went to Tsunade's spare room and got a towel and bath soap. She then went to the hot spring behind the house. As she removed her top she winced in pain and touched the large scar running down the length of the left side of her back.

She had received the scar during her fight with Sasuke. She was hit with his chidori near her spine and for some reason the wound was taking a long time to heal. Though she never complained, the pain was a constant and acted as a reminder of her ordeal.

Sakura touched her toes in the water and it was warm and inviting. As she was about to drop her shirt she head a sound behind her and when she looked back she saw Naruto sitting up against the wall with a drink in his hand and a look of shock plastered on his face. For a moment time seemed to stop between the two of them as they stared at each other, red faced, until Naruto nervously said, "Uhhh….hi!"

"Aaaahhh," Sakura screamed as she covered her breasts with her shirt. "Naruto you pervert! What the hell are you doing! You're spying on me!"

Naruto dropped his drink and waived his hands in protest. "No,no," Naruto yelled. "I was here first! You came by and started getting undressed!"

Sakura put her shirt back on, careful not to let Naruto get a peek and then yelled, "Even if that's true why didn't you say something instead of just sitting there and watching me take my clothes off?"

"Well…..uhh…well….you see…..I….," Naruto stuttered nervously as he could see Sakura getting madder. Naruto was desperate to find an explanation that didn't make him out to be a pervert but nothing came to him. Realizing he was pretty much caught he instead decided to try a different approach.

Putting on the most charming smile he could Naruto shrugged and said, "Ok, I got nothing by way of an excuse. But are you really going to get mad at me?"

Naruto stared at Sakura in horror as she got to her feet and stomped towards him. He could swear he saw flames coming from her eyes and veins popping out from her forehead as she rolled up her right sleeve.

Realizing his mistake Naruto burst into a cold sweat as Sakura approached. "Ooooh boy," he said nervously.

"Naaaaruuuuutoooo," Sakura screamed as she punched Naruto with such force the house shook. She then pulled him from the dirt and held him by the collar and began to shake him violently.

Fifteen minutes later Naruto was sitting on the bed in the spare room. He had a small gash on his head that was still bleeding. Sakura walked in the room with a bowl of hot water and a cloth. Sakura sat next to him and placed the cloth on his cut and began to treat it.

Naruto winced as she began to wipe his wound. "Oh don't be a baby," Sakura whispered. "This doesn't hurt that bad." Sakura and Naruto remained silent until Sakura said, "You really are an idiot Naruto. What were you doing back there anyway?"

"I guess I was there the same reason you were," Naruto said. "I just wanted a few minutes to be alone and think."

"Well it's alright to be alone but sneaking around like that could get you hurt," Sakura said.

"Ha," Naruto said with a smile. "Yeah, for a second there I thought I was gonna die."

"I…I'm sorry Naruto," Sakura said. "I guess I over-reacted back there. I…never should have hit you that hard."

"It's alright Sakura," Naruto said and he looked at Sakura who wasn't more than a few inches away from his face. "I kinda….deserved it." For a moment the two stared into each others eyes as Naruto marveled at just how beautifully green Sakura's eyes were. Sakura was momentarily lost in Naruto's deep blue eyes and swallowed hard before getting up quickly. "Y-you're wound stopped bleeding," she said.

Sakura walked over and placed the bowl on the dresser when Naruto asked, "He gave you that wound on your back didn't he?"

Sakura gripped the edge of the dresser as if the question itself caused her pain. With a forced, fake smile Sakura turned to face Naruto and said, "I don't know what you're talking about Naruto. I got this during a training exercise."

Naruto gritted his teeth and clench his fist and raised his voice as he said, "Sakura-chan! Please stop lying. He did that to you. Sasuke…he hurt you. I know because one of the things Madara told me in that vision was what Sasuke did. I didn't mention it to the others."

Sakura was shocked and saddened. "I've healed all the other wounds," she said. "But this one isn't healing quickly at all. I don't know why."

Naruto got to his feet and walked up to Sakura and grabbed her by the hand and said, "Sakura-chan I am so sorry this happened! I f I was there…."

"It's ok Naruto," Sakura said as she squeezed his hand. "You can't be everywhere at once Naruto. Besides, I was able to hold my own and survive. This isn't your fault at all."

Sakura walked past Naruto and sat on the bed. "I can't believe Sasuke would actually do something like this," Naruto said sadly.

Sakura took a deep breath and said, "Maybe he had no choice Naruto. Madara was there. Maybe Madara forced him to…"

"No Sakura," Naruto said as he faced her. "There is always a choice. Sasuke did this because he wanted to. You know that as much as I do. It's time we stop trying to give Sasuke the benefit of the doubt."

"Then what do you plan to do," Sakura asked.

Naruto was silent for a moment until he said, "Sasuke wants the destruction of not just Konoha but the whole world. I have to stop him, even if it costs me my own life."

"I really wish you wouldn't say things like that," Sakura said as she jumped to her feet. "You can't just sacrifice yourself like you do. If something were to happen do you have any idea how much it would hurt the people you leave behind? Naruto if you want to stop Sasuke then you have to do it without dying or else I'll never forgive you."

Naruto smiled and said, "Right. You got it."

"Well," Naruto said as he picked up his shirt. "I should head back to the meeting hall to…" Suddenly he felt dizzy and dropped to one knee and moaned, grabbing his head.

"Naruto," Sakura yelled as she ran up to Naruto and grabbed him. "You're not going anywhere. You need to rest."

"No…time," Naruto said.

"Nonsense," Sakura said as she led him to the bed and helped him to lie down. Then, to his surprise, Sakura laid down next to him under his arm. "Sakura-chan….what are you doing," he asked.

"Well, I have to make sure you don't leave don't I," Sakura asked. Naruto began to blush as he felt Sakura's body next to his. He could feel her breathing on his bare skin.

Sakura remained silent as she laid on Naruto's hard chest and stomach and listened to his heart beat. She could hear his heart was racing and she couldn't help but give a little smile. Slowly, almost nervously, Naruto moved his hand until he was touching her shoulder and he hugged her to him and they stayed this way for a long time.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said, "Tomorrow is going to be dangerous. A lot of things are going to happen tomorrow. Many people may die. In case this may be my only chance I just wanted you to know that I….I love you. I've felt this way for a long time and I….I didn't want something to happen to me without you knowing."

Naruto remained silent for a moment hoping Sakura would answer but she remained silent. "I…I…know you probably don't feel the same," he continued. "And I know how you still may feel about Sasuke. But I just felt like I would hate myself if I died without at least telling you."

Still Sakura was silent. "Sakura-chan," Naruto said. "Sakura-chan?" Naruto gently moved Sakura's hair and realized she had fallen asleep. Naruto took a deep breath and smiled as he saw her sleeping peacefully on him. _I could get used to this_, he thought as he looked at the ceiling with a smile. After a few minutes he drifted off to sleep.

Once she was sure he was asleep Sakura opened her eyes. She turned and looked up at Naruto's face and tears began to flow from her eyes. She reached up and stroked his chin and smiled sadly. She then laid down on him again and hugged him tightly and closed her eyes and went to sleep.

It was slightly more than an hour before dawn when Naruto and Sakura were awakened by someone just outside the window. "Naruto-kun," said the man. "Are you in there?"

Naruto groaned as he looked to see Sakura still lying on his chest. _Wow, this really wasn't a dream_, he thought. Sakura's eyes began to open as well.

"Naruto-kun," the man called again.

"Yeah," Naruto said. "What is it?"

"Everyone will be marching out in less than an hour sir," the man said. "We've all been looking everywhere for you. Danzo has asked that you return to his office."

"Right," Naruto said.

"Ok,' the man said as he was leaving. "Also, we're looking for Sakura-chan as well. If you see her tell her she needs to report to her Division."

Naruto looked down at a smiling Sakura and smiled. "Yeah," he said. "If I see her I'll let her know."

After the man was gone Naruto said, "Good morning Sakura-chan."

"Good morning Naruto," Sakura said.

Naruto touched her hair and played with it in his fingers and asked, "Did you sleep ok?"

"Yep," Sakura said. "You're pretty comfortable." Realizing she actually said that out loud caused her to blush violently. "I…mean…ahh," she stuttered.

Naruto just laughed as he sat up. "Anyway," he said. "I think we should get going. I need to be there and Division Six needs their Commander." As Naruto got to his feet he reached for his shirt and was about to put it on when he felt Sakura hold on to his waist and the side of her face on his back.

"I don't want you to die," she said. "Naruto, I know you better than most and I know you're planning to do something reckless today." Naruto sighed as he listened to her.

Sakura turned Naruto around to face her and Naruto could see she was crying. "Naruto do you remember the last promise you made to me," she asked.

Suddenly Naruto flashbacked to that moment and those words: _"Don't Worry Sakura-chan! I'll bring him back! It's a promise of a lifetime!"_

"Yeah," Naruto said. "I remember."

"Well, I want you to make another promise," Sakura said as she turned and walked back across the room and looked out the window.

Naruto then said, "Sure Sakura-chan, anything you want."

"Promise me that when this war is over you'll come back to me," Sakura said.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said.

"Promise me Naruto," Sakura said. "That'll you'll live and that when this is over you'll stay…with me."

"With you," Naruto asked. "What do you mean?"

Sakura sighed and rolled her eyes. She then saw a footstool sitting next to the side of the bed. She kicked the foot stool forcing it to slide across the room and stop at Naruto's feet. She then quickly walked up and stood on it placing her at eye level with Naruto. Before he could respond Sakura suddenly grabbed Naruto by the face and kissed him deeply. At first Naruto was frozen in shock, but quickly warmed up and pulled Sakura to him as they continued to kiss.

Eventually they stopped and separated. "Well," Sakura asked. "Is it a promise?"

With a euphoric smile Naruto whispered, "It's a promise. A promise of a lifetime."

Eventually Naruto backed up as he stared at Sakura with what he knew had to be the goofiest look on his face. But he didn't care. What had just happened was something he had dreamt about for years. Naruto stumbled about as he put on his clothes and then walked to the door. "I guess I'll see you soon," he said with a smile.

"Yeah," Sakura said as she watched Naruto leave the room. Just as he opened the door Sakura said, "I love you too." Naruto stopped in his tracks with his eyes and mouth wide open in surprise. He then looked back and smiled before leaving.

_******Thirty minutes later******_

The young boy, Katsu sat on the steps as he nervously fumbled around as he tried to secure his gear. He zipped up his flack jacket and then strapped his tool belt around his waist. His hands were shaking furiously and he felt on the verge of throwing up as he looked around and saw the hundreds of Konoha Ninja making similar adjustments.

The boy felt like he was trapped in a whirlwind with no way out. He was only eleven years old and was now sitting in a large field near one of the entrances to Konoha, among hundreds of seasoned ninja preparing for war. The boy took a deep breath and tried to calm himself to no avail and when he opened his eyes he saw another boy, Akihiko who was also in his class, staring nervously at him.

Akihiko looked as scared as he knew he must look and in a strange way it made him feel better to know that he wasn't alone in his fear. The two boys nodded to each other and returned to their preparations.

Katsu grabbed his last kunai and tried to place it in his pouch but his hands were shaking so much that it slipped and fell to the ground. The boy sighed and reached to grab it when another hand got there first and picked it up. The boy looked up and was surprised to see the blonde man standing next to him with a smile.

"You should be more careful," Naruto said. "The tools of a ninja are precious and should be treated with care."

"I know," Katsu responded. "That's exactly what Iruka-sensei tells us."

"Ahh," Naruto said with a smile. "So you're in his class? So was I. You should listen to him, he's a smart man."

"Yeah," Katsu responded as he sadly looked at his feet.

Naruto looked at the boy and frowned a bit before asking, "What's you're name and rank?"

"Yashida Katsu," the boy responded. "I'm still in the academy. I was scheduled to graduate next year. I'm still struggling with using a kunai."

Naruto looked at the kunai in his hand and then at the Katsu. "Using a kunai was once hard for me to learn too," Naruto said as he began spinning the kunai in his hand. "Iruka-sensei taught me that a ninja's weapons can't just be looked at just tools but an extension of themselves. Using a kunai has to be a natural as using your fingers."

Naruto stopped spinning the kunai and placed it in Katsu's hand. "Here's a little tip," he said. "Don't grip the kunai tight with your fingers. You should leave your fingers loose so that you can move the kunai into positions quickly. Instead hold it steady from your palm using the strength of your forearm."

Katsu smiled and said, "Thank you Naruto-san." Katsu then looked around at all the people moving about. There was a heavy sadness in the air. "Many of the others here say we don't stand a chance against Akatsuki."

Naruto placed his hand on the boys shoulder and said, "As long as we live there is hope. As long as we have hope, we can win."

Just then Yamato walked up and said, "Naruto, I'm glad you could make it."

Naruto smiled and nodded one last time at the boy before standing up and walking away with Yamato. "Did you really think I would miss this," Naruto said.

As they walked about the ninja's who were now getting on their feet and preparing to move out Naruto couldn't help but notice the despair on most of their faces. They all looked like they were marching to their deaths.

"They all look so scared," Naruto said just loud enough for Yamato to hear.

"Wouldn't you be," Yamato responded. "We're so outnumbered that we've been forced to draft people who have no business being on a battle field. Some, like that boy you were talking to are too young."

Yamato then looked to several wrinkled old men who seemed as though they would collapse under the weight of their own gear. "And some are too old," he said.

Naruto then stopped and looked at all the men for a moment before whispering to Yamato. "Ok," Yamato said as he quickly made some hand signs and said, "Wood Release!"

At the same time Iruka walked up just as a wooden platform rose out of the dirt underneath Naruto's feet. The platform rose ten feet into the air allowing Naruto to survey the large company of soldiers.

Naruto took a deep breath and tried to quell the sudden feeling of butterflies in his stomach as the soldiers milled about. "Good morning," Naruto said as he tried to get everyone's attention. Many turned to look at the blonde man who addressed them but many still weren't paying attention. "Good Morning," Naruto said again this time louder than before.

Finally he had the attention of every man there and Naruto could feel their eyes on him. Naruto again took a deep, nervous breath before he spoke. "My name is Uzu….I'm sorry…My name is Namikaze Naruto," Naruto said. "It's still going to take some time getting used to the new name. Today we all are about to take part in an incredible battle. A battle not just for the fate of Konoha but I guess, the fate of the world."

Naruto then suddenly stopped and looked around at all the faces staring back at him and shook his head slightly. "Tch," he said. "You know, I wanted to come up here and say something to inspire you all until I realized I'm not really that good at making speeches."

"For someone who's not very good he sure has made a lot of them over the years," Iruka whispered to Yamato.

"And here I am and the only speech I can come up with is some generic crap," Naruto said as he buried his face into his palm. "Look, I'm not going to lie to you guys, I was a terrible student back in the academy. I never listened, never did the things I was supposed to do, I was difficult to teach." Iruka nodded in agreement.

"But there was always one topic that always got my attention," Naruto continued. "It was the history of Konoha. Or more importantly, the stories about the adventures of the previous Hokage's. I always wanted to be like them. To be heroes like them. To find adventure and battle and become famous warriors like them. But as I grew up realized something. That they never sought out adventure and danger and war. These things came to them. And they chose to face it head on. Were they scared? I'm sure they were. But they never ran. Because they were not fighting for themselves, but for their friends. Their families. For me. For all of us.

"My name is Namikaze Naruto," Naruto said. "And I am a son of Konoha. And you are all my brothers and sisters. And today I will fight for you. And all I ask is that you now remember what you fight for. Who you have to win for."

Iruka and Yamato looked on as Naruto spoke and noticed the gradual change in the faces of all the soldiers who watched Naruto.

"Brothers and sisters of Konoha," Naruto said. "The will of fire was created in our ancestors and it now burns in all of us! When our enemies attacked during the first ninja war the will of fire still burned. When our enemies nearly destroyed us during the second war the will of fire still burned! And now as we to face an enemy that wants nothing but our deaths, but we will show them why the people of Konoha are so dangerous! Because we will never give up! We will never stop fighting! We will always fight for our friends, for our families, for those who came before us and those who will come after!"

All through the group everyone began to respond to Naruto's words. Yamato and Iruka could see a fire in their eyes and a growing excitement.

"So today," Naruto said. "We will head out there and do what our ancestors did. We will show our enemies that we can't be defeated. That Konoha can never be destroyed. And that the will of fire can never…ever…be extinguished!"

The entire army roared in jubilation and agreement as Naruto raised his hands in triumph. Near the rear of the army Tsunade stood with Danzo and the other elders and smiled. "And now you have become the shield," she whispered.

Naruto leapt down from the platform and was met by the cheering crowd. "Alright," Yamato yelled over the crowd. "Everyone get into your formations! We're moving out!"

As everyone quickly got into their places Yamato noticed Naruto was standing at the head of his Division. "Naruto what are you doing," he asked. "I thought we all agreed that you'd remain here."

Naruto smiled and said, "There's more than one way to make sure I'm with you all." Naruto then pointed to across the filed to Division five's formation. And standing at the head was Naruto as well. Yamato then looked to each Division and at each one was Naruto.

He then turned back to the Naruto in front of him and smiled. "You're using clones," he said. "But will they hold up?"

"These clones are new and improved and can take a lot more damage," Naruto responded. "Do you have one of those kunai I gave you?"

"Yes," Yamato said as he patted his tool pouch. "Each one of the Division Captains have one. I just hope you're plan works."

"I just hope we won't have to use them at all," Naruto said. "This jutsu hasn't been perfected yet."

"Naruto," Yamato said. "If all of you are clones, then where is the real you?"

"Don't worry Yamato-taicho," Naruto said with a smile. And about a mile away sitting atop the roof of the Hokage's office was Naruto. His legs were crossed and he was in deep concentration while his body had a bright red glow around emanating around him. Standing behind him was Ino who stared at him with a bit of astonishment.

Naruto's eyes opened and his pupils were both fox-like and toad-like. "Don't worry Yamato-taicho," Naruto said. "I won't be far away at all."

End of Chapter Twenty Two

Next Time: Harbinger of Destruction

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Prepare yourself...The _Curse_ is coming.


	23. Harbinger of Destruction

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to the Chronicles. As always I like to start by stating I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

Thanks to everyone who reviewed my previous chapter: airnaruto45; newserkzzz; dragonshaun9; ZeroTail29; Gravenimage; Sasuje J; xDARKNESS; FoxSage19; tosakuai; The Flying Lion; Diamond Man; MyHikari; Kushina's Truth of Hell; Komljenovic; SofiaCullen; charles cdv; KrackerJak; LoveOfYourlife; goldone5.

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**RESPONCES**

**airnaruto45** - Yes, this is a trilogy. And if you want action then the next few chapters will help with the craving.

**newserkzzz **- Arashi = Storm

**dragonshaun9** - Really? Funny thing with that speech is I drafted 4 versions of the speech and hated each of them! So I scraped it and just decided to just right whatever came to mind and there you go. :) And so you know, I had none of those characters in mind when i wrote the last one.

**ZeroTail29** - Thanx.

**Gravenimage** - I'm glad you liked the Hinata/ Naruto conversation. It was important to me to show these two having an open and honest conversation about thier feelings and finally come to an understanding.

Umm Graven, i think you need to re-read my last chapter. Naruto and Sakura did kiss. ;) Glad you liked it though.

**Sasuke K** - Thanks for the catch. I've fixed it. Yeah, I don't really do lemons in this story. Maybe for others. Glad you liked the speech. It was really the biggest concern I had for this chapter. Was the NH development disappointing? :( I thought i did a good job on that. They gained a definite understanding and respect for eachother. Why would Naruto try to return her love? Either you love someone or you don't. Forcing it rarely works and just causes more pain.

Don't be so fast to assume Naruto will be willing to forgive Sasuke. Just sayin.

**xDARKNESS **- My story is slow burn dude. I want my readers to not only enjoy the ride but to enjoy the little tidbits within the story. Hope you did well in that test dude and if i really did help to relax you then i'm glad.

**FoxSage19** - Thanx.

**tosakuai **- Two Towers? Hmm, nope. i wasn't even thinking of that story. But i guess I can see that though. Thanx.

**The Flying Lion **- LoL! yep. i hate to admit it but FMA is not only one of my favorite manga of all time but it has a heavy influence on how I wanted to depict this story. I'm glad you liked the chapter and i'm having alot of fun writing Konan if you can tell. Kisame, will be seen very soon.

**Diamond Man** - Wow, you guys really liked that speech huh? Glad I chose to re-write it. :) I'm happy you are enjoying the story so much.

**MyHikari **- LoL! Sorry but I just can't see Kiba with my darling Ino. Neji is the only man for her. LoL!

I don't know if I'll be able to pull of telling this war. But one thing you can be certain of is THERE WILL BE BLOOD!

**Kushina's** - Thanx.

**SofiaCullen22** - Thanx.

**charles cdv** - Thanx

**KrackerJak** - Ok, WOW! O.O i gotta admit this is one of the longest reviews i can remember. I'll try to condence my responce as best i can. Naruto in the manga can only create a max of three Sage clones. But **my Naruto **is three years older as is everyone else. That's three years of improving that technique. And the clones assigned to the division are neither. And there is a reason for that, to be revealed later.

So book 1 was your favorite huh? Ok, i can respect the reasons for that. Lokk, I'm well aware of the lack of NS interaction throughout the entirety of the story can hurt things a bit. But the story i wanted to tell was far broader than just another NS tale. For me, it's more important telling my version of the story of Naruto. Not just NS. it's for this reason i also focused on other pairings and themes because i wanted this to be about everyone, not just one aspect. And yes that includes NaruSasu which is a major theme in Naruto's growth.

Here's the thing, I considered holding NS until after the war but when I considered how I want things to end I realized it would negatively affect the flow of the story. Also i thought to myself, Naruto and Sakura are about to enter a war where they could die. it made more sense to me for everyone wanting to clear things up just in case no? And it would also make no sense for me to stop my progression towards war to have Naruto go on a date or to highlight more jealousy situations. They had bigger things t deal with don't you agree?

I'm not a NH fan. but i like Hinata as a character...well...kinda. Anyway, I didn't want to bash Hinata in this story. i wanted to show her growth into a strong kunoichi. The same can be said for Sakura and all the rookies. In my story they are all around 20 yrs old so i wanted them to be more mature.

A fourth book? Well, I did say this was a trilogy so...no...well...maybe...ahh...no...hmm...i wonder. Lol!

And finally, I'm happy you liked what i did with Rock Lee. As i said, portraying thier growth was immensly important for me and as i said in a previous reply: THERE WILL BE BLOOD!

Whew!

**LoveOfMyLife** - You don't like NS stories? Well, hopefully i can help you wuv it! lol!Glad you're enjoying the story so far!

**goldone5** - Wow, everyone is telling me Narutos speech reminded them from everything from Herny V to Lelouch! Funny thing is I didn't try to emulate any of them. i just wanted to give Naruto an inspiring, yet informal speech. Glad so many liked it though. And yes, the battle begins now. So strap in and i hope I don't disappoint!

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**Message from the Author**

Ok, so here is chapter 23. Now about this chapter, you should all know that this war is a massive undertaking where i want to show the immensity of this battle across many locations and through different perspectives. As a result, this chapter will contain many changes of perspectives. I hope you like it and appreciate what i'm trying to go for here. And feel free to **please** leave a little** review** to let me know what you think.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XXIII: Harbinger of Destruction

Tsume quickly ducked and rolled under the large sword as it swung for her head. Another sword came crashing down towards her as she was still on the ground and she rolled back and flipped up onto her feet. Before her attacker could recover she kicked him squarely in the stomach launching him back as the other attacker came at her from behind with his sword raised.

Before his attack could land, Kuromaru, Tsume's canine companion leapt onto the man's back and bit down into his shoulder. His body crumpled to the floor as blood gushed from the open wound. "Thanks Kuromaru," Tsume said.

"No problem," he responded as he began to growl and looked off to the south. "There are more of them coming."

"Shit," Tsume said. She looked back to see the large wooden arrow launcher behind her. The launcher was over two stories tall and fired arrows the size of an oak tree. And the worst part was Akatsuki had brought dozens of them with them. "Hey hurry up and destroy that thing," she yelled. "We'll have company soon!"

"Almost done," Shino responded as his bugs covered the launcher and broke it apart.

Just then Yamato and Ibiki ran out of the bushes and came up to them. "This one is done Tai-cho," Shino said.

"Alright," Yamato responded. "We've got a large enemy force grouping just south of here and they're on their way. I've left a clone nearby to lead some of Division Three's men to take them out. We've got to move now!"

As the group ran off Tsume asked, "Where's the next target?"

"Sai spotted another launcher just over that rise," Ibiki yelled as several explosions went off in the distance. "We've got him high in the sky on one of his ink birds marking each target!"

"Then let's get moving," Yamato yelled.

******Meanwhile******

Hinata and her sister stood on the top of a large hill overlooking the battlefield. She couldn't believe how things had progressed so quickly into all out battle. The entire army had marched out just before dawn to the borders where there was already a large group of Konoha ninja completing the large wooden barriers to help hold back the enemy.

Unfortunately they had little time to relax as within minutes of their arrival, advanced scouts had returned stating that Akatsuki's forces were less than a mile away. Hinata's division was immediately dispatched to the hill they were on now. It was the perfect vantage point to see the entire battlefield and allow them to guide their forces against the enemy.

And within an hour, the enemy was upon them. Hinata was horrified at the brutality at which Akatsuki attacked them. She was forced to watch as her comrades fought bravely yet many were brutally cut down, stabbed, beheaded and worse. But this was her duty. She, her sister and the rest of her division were the ones who had to determine where their forces were needed. As a result they were forced to watch death.

"Oh no," Hanabi said.

"What is it," Hinata asked.

"A large enemy contingent is overrunning our forces to the Northeast," Hanabi responded.

"Ok, that's Choza's location," Ao responded. Ao then turned to a young ninja with a radio and said, "Inform Hiashi to send more men to that location now!"

Suddenly there was a large explosion on the hill below them as dozens of Akatsuki forces poured out of the hole.

"No," Hinata yelled. "They were traveling underground! We need men dispatched there as well. And it looks like one of the ninja among them has an Earth Kekki Genkai."

"You guys stay here," Naruto said as he ran past them. "We need you to continue guiding the army. I'll take care of these guys!"

Naruto sprinted towards the group of enemy ninja as they began to slaughter everyone in the area. Naruto leapt high into the sky and landed right in the center of the group and before they could react began punching and kicking every enemy within striking distance. Naruto's attacks were landing with such force that one kick or punch would launch an enemy into the air and send their unconscious bodies flying.

Naruto then heard a deep rumbling behind him and saw a large landslide hurtling towards him. He quickly leapt in the air, spinning his body over the blast of earth as it shot past underneath him. While in mid air Naruto spotted his attacker. It was the earth element user Hinata had spotted.

Naruto quickly threw several kunai at him while he was midair and forced the ninja to leap about as he dodged the kunai which caused him to go on the defensive. The moment Naruto landed he ran alongside the ninja, throwing more and more kunai which the ninja expertly dodged.

The ninja then made several hand signs and created a platform of earth under his feet and launched himself up and back away from Naruto. "It's over now boy," the ninja said with smile as he quickly made several hand signs and said, "Earth Release: Landslide Technique!" The ground on each side of the ninja began to rumble and then two landslide blasts launched at Naruto from either side. But much to the ninja's surprise Naruto ran directly at him without hesitation. "Fool," the ninja yelled as he smiled deviously.

Standing at the foot of the hill was Ao and some soldiers. They looked on in wonder as Naruto continued his fight. Ao looked around at the dozens of bodies sprawled about. _I can't believe Naruto's clone was able to do something like this alone_, Hiashi thought. _If his clone is this strong then just how strong is the real Naruto?_

Naruto sprinted at the ninja just as both landslides closed in on him. He then created a hand sign and said, "Release!" and much to the ninja's surprise, both landslides exploded in several areas, causing his jutsu to fail.

Naruto leapt through the dirt and smoke and stabbed the ninja in the side with a kunai. "Uhh," the ninja yelled as he spat up blood. Naruto then gently laid the ninja's body on the ground. "How," the ninja asked.

"Those kunai I threw each had explosive tags," Naruto said. "When you dodged them they would fall on the ground and when you used your Earth Technique they were absorbed into your attack."

"Damn," the ninja said as his eyes closed. Naruto turned and returned to the rest of the group. "Continue you're observation. I'll take care of guarding you all."

"Right," Ao said.

A few feet away Hinata looked at Naruto and smiled. _Thank you Naruto-kun_, she thought before returning to her duty.

******Meanwhile******

Konohamaru was thrown back by the force of the explosion and landed hard on the ground. He and his unit were tasked with overtaking a key location and after a grueling campaign, were beating back the enemy. Then suddenly there was an explosion from beneath their feet followed by blood, noise and darkness.

Konohamaru's head was spinning and he knew he had lost consciousness at least once. Then he felt himself being lifted in the air and he opened his eyes to see Iruka yelling at him. But he couldn't hear him above the ringing in his ears.

"….you ok Konohamaru," Iruka yelled as he tried to get through to the young man who was clearly in shock.

Konohamaru shook his head and finally he could hear and think clearly. "What," he asked.

"Are you ok," Iruka asked again. "We need to keep moving. Are you ok?"

"Yes," Konohamaru said. "Wait, what about the others?"

Iruka shook his head solemnly. "They were too close to the explosion," he said. "Most were killed and the ones who survived are being taken back to the medical area for treatment. How about you? Can you still fight?"

Konohamaru nodded and got to his feet. All around him, he could see the dead bodies of his comrades. A few feet closer and that would have been him. "It appears Akatsuki planted paper bombs underground," Iruka said. "We need to be careful. Let's go! Naruto and the other units are up ahead clearing out the enemy."

Konohamaru took a deep breath and ran alongside Iruka towards the enemy location.

******Meanwhile******

The body of the Akatsuki soldier crashed to the floor. His head was caved in and he was bleeding from the mouth. Standing above him was Tenten. She was breathing heavily and her clothes were tattered and dirty. In her hands was a smoothly polished oak bow staff.

Four more ninja closed in on her and she quickly parried one attack and swung the staff, hitting her attacker squarely under the chin. Blood and teeth spat from the ninja's mouth as he crumpled to the floor. The second attacker came from behind but Tenten was prepared; swinging her staff behind her and burying one end into the soft dirt, she used it to vault herself up and over the ninja and landed behind him. Before he could recover she leapt into the air and kicked him in the back of his head pitching him forward and face first into the ground.

The third attacker grabbed her staff in an attempt to slow her while the fourth attacked swung his sword at her face. Tenten quickly slid her finger and flipped a small switch on the staff and it suddenly broke into three equal pieces connected by chains.

The move took the third attacker off guard and she quickly pulled her sansetsukon free. Within a matter of seconds she blocked the sword and swung her weapon, hitting both ninja in the head and knocking them out cold. Tenten spun her sansetsukon around her body and over her head before going into a ready stance to fend off any other attack.

Tenten turned to see Hana and her three companions were in the midst of using Double Sawed Fang to take out several dozen enemies. Tenten was so caught up in watching Hana that she didn't notice the ninja slowly rising from the ground behind her with a kunai in her hand.

"Watch out Tenten," Kurenai yelled as she leapt to Tenten's aid. Before the enemy could attack Kurenai made several hand signs and large vines shot from the ground and grabbed the ninja by her wrists and waist.

Tenten turned and punched the ninja in the face, knocking her out cold. "Thanks Kurenai-taicho," Tenten yelled.

"Look out," Naruto screamed as he grabbed Tenten and leapt away. High in the sky, hurtling towards them was a large arrow the size of a tree. Hana and her dogs leapt clear and just when Kurenai was about to jump one of the enemy ninja, lying on the floor, grabbed her by the ankle and smiled.

Kurenai looked up to see the arrow bearing down on her and desperately tried to pull her leg free. Just then Kotetsu jumped in and pulled her free and threw her clear as the arrow crashed to the ground. The earth shook from the impact as the arrow crashed into the dirt, knocking over trees and throwing twisted bodies everywhere.

Naruto got to his feet and helped Tenten up. "Is everyone alright," he asked as he looked around for survivors. Other Konoha ninja began to get up while others remained dead all around. "Kurenai-san," Naruto screamed as everyone looked around.

Kurenai shook off the mud and dirt off of her has she struggled to her feet. "There she is," Yoshino yelled as she ran to help Kurenai up. "Are you alright," Yoshino asked.

"Yes," Kurenai said. "It was Kotetsu. He pushed me out of the way." It was then she realized what that meant. Everyone looked at the large wooden arrow and knew; somewhere under there was a dear friend now lost.

******Meanwhile******

"What's their status Hinata," Ao asked.

"Kurenai's Division has already lost a third of her soldiers tai-cho," Hinata said. "And another platoon of Akatsuki ninja are already closing in on them."

"Damn," Ao said. "Alright maybe we can…."

"Tai-cho," Hanabi yelled. "We have a problem to the north!"

Ao activated his Byakugan and looked to the north. What he saw made his blood run cold. "Oh no," he said.

Out in the distance Ao and the others could see dozens of Akatuski ninja pulling in two large wooden machines, both several stories high. They were launchers capable of firing extremely large shurikens. Such a weapon could kill hundreds of them at a time.

"We need to marshal our forces and send them in to stop those machines," Ao yelled. "Notify Divisions Two, Three and Five of those weapons and have them move in now!"

******Meanwhile******

Sakura was kneeling between the beds that contained two of her fallen comrades. Both had been brought in from the battlefield with grave injuries. The one on the left had been caught in an explosion of exploding tags. He had third degree burns all over his face and chest while the one on the right was part of a platoon that ran into an Akatsuki force led by a ninja with a Flame Release Kekkei Genkai. He was the only one was the only one who survived.

Sakura had a hand on each one as she desperately attempted to heal them both simultaneously. She was doing this because she had no choice. The injury riddled bodies of her comrades were being brought in by the dozens. Within the hours since the battle had begun her division was overwhelmed by the shear number of injured ninja that were coming in.

Sakura was forced to send the ones whose injuries weren't as bad back to the medical ward in Konoha while she and her staff worked on the critical patients.

"Tai-cho," one of the medics yelled as he ran up to her. "Tai-cho, we just received another patient. She has a collapsed lung and several broken ribs. One of them is threatening to puncture her heart. We need you right away!"

"Give her a shot of adrenaline to keep her heart going and I'll be there as soon as I can," Sakura responded.

Just then the patient on her left coughed up blood and gasped. "No," Sakura whispered as she stopped healing the one on the right to focus on the dying man. _His heart stopped_, Sakura thought as she desperately poured more chakra into him to get his heart going again, but within a few seconds she knew it was too late.

Sakura slowly lifted her hands from the dead mans chest and stared at him in silence. Some distance away there was an explosion that un-nerved the medic that was standing nearby while Sakura didn't flinch. "I'm sorry Tai-cho," he said. "You did everything you could."

"Go give that woman the adrenaline," Sakura said. The captain hesitated for a moment as if there was something he wanted to say. Just then Sakura raised her head and he could see the tears in her eyes. "Didn't you hear what I said," Sakura yelled. "We don't have time to be waiting around while people die!"

"Right tai-cho," the medic answered as he saluted. He quickly turned and ran off as Sakura turned to tend to the ninja on her right. _Damn you Sasuke_, she thought as she continued to heal the man. _I can't believe this is what you wanted._

******Meanwhile******

"Everyone get down," Shikaku yelled causing his men to dive to the ground. A large shuriken, fired from the massive launcher, flew past over their heads. Many of Shikaku's men were fast enough to dodge the deadly weapon. But dozens more were not so lucky, as the large shuriken tore through their bodies, cutting them in half and coating the ground in their blood and remains.

"Damn it," Shikaku yelled in frustration. "We have to get up that hill and destroy those two machines before it kills us all!"

"Stay focused Shikaku," Choza yelled as he helped his friend to his feet. "It takes them about three minutes to reload that behemoth. We should be able to get there in time. Let's keep moving."

Shikaku looked to find Naruto helping the others. "Naruto," he said. "Is there anything you can do?"

"I'm just a clone," Naruto said. "So my abilities are limited. But once I get up there I can use Rasengan to destroy the machine."

"Right," Shikaku said as he looked to his remaining troops and yelled, "C'mon men! We're almost there! For Konoha!" With that the large group screamed as the continued their ascent.

******Meanwhile******

Some distance from the main battle Madara stood watching things progress. Standing to his left was Sasuke and his right was Zetsu. Just behind them was Kisame and Karin. "Things aren't progressing as quickly as I'd like," Madara said. "Konoha's organization is far too precise. We need to throw them into more chaos. Do that and the battle will be won."

Sasuke looked off to the East and then said, "I see. Konoha has placed a large division of the Hyuga clan away from the main battle."

"They must be using their Byakugan to determine our locations and relay them to their forces," Madara said.

"Then what we must do is blind them to our movements," Sasuke said as he walked towards a female ninja standing not to far away. She wore a hood and had a large scroll strapped to her back. "You have your target," Sasuke said. "Make sure every Hyuga is dead."

The woman bowed in silence and leapt up into a nearby tree and ran off, leaping from branch to branch. She took care to avoid the Konoha forces as best she could as she made a beeline for her target's location.

At one point she was spotted by two Konoha ninja who quickly gave pursuit. They didn't notice the woman pull out a small scroll and wrote something on it and then stick it to a nearby tree.

The woman waited for them to pass the note before she made a hand sign and disappeared before their very eyes. The two ninja stopped and began to look about for any signs of her. "Uhh," the ninja on the right yelled as he spat up blood and fell from the tree with a kunai in his back.

The ninja on the left was momentarily frozen in fear as his comrade fell and before he could recover, the woman was upon him, stabbing him in the eye and into the brain with a kunai. She quickly turned and left as her victim fell from the trees.

Within moments, she could see the clearing where a group of Hyuga stood about as they scanned and analyzed the battle. As she came to the last tree before the clearing, she stopped and hid in the shadows and removed the scroll.

The woman then leapt down from the branch to the ground without making even the slightest noise and walked out into the clearing.

"Tai-cho," Tokuma yelled as he spotted the woman at the edge of the clearing. Ao, Hinata, Hanabi and the others all looked at the woman who merely stood there with her large scroll.

"An enemy got through," Naruto asked. "How! How is it that no one sensed her!"

Using her Byakugan, Hanabi quickly got the answer. "It's because she has no chakra," she said. "Take a look at her. I can't even see her chakra network."

"Impossible," Hinata responded. "No one can mask their chakra that completely!"

"It doesn't matter," Ao said as he looked at two other Hyuga ninja. "Take her out. Try not to kill her if you can. We can see what she knows."

As the two ninja closed in on the woman with their kunai at the ready, the woman dropped the scroll onto the floor and unraveled it. On it were intricate circular pictures and kanj. The woman quickly bit both of her thumbs, releasing a small bit of blood and wiped them on the inside of her palms. She then slammed her hands onto the scroll and much to everyone's surprise, a dozen Akatsuki ninja appeared in a puff of smoke in front of her.

"Shit," Ao yelled. "That's some sort of reverse summoning jutsu! Everyone, prepare for battle!"

Within seconds the woman had summoned several dozen Akatsuki ninja who all ran at Ao and his men, hungry for blood.

******Meanwhile******

"Keep moving everyone," Hiashi yelled as he spurred his Division on. "We're almost at the top! Once there I want the entire area surrounded and then we'll attack."

"Tai-cho," a ninja yelled as he sped up to Hiashi. "We just lost contact with Division One sir."

"Lost contact," Hiashi asked. "Is there something wrong with our equipment?"

"No sir," the ninja responded.

Hiashi stopped on the tree branch and turned towards the direction where Division One was camped and activated his Byakugan.

Just then Naruto arrived and yelled, "Division One is under heavy attack! One of my other clones is there."

"I know," Hiashi said as he continued to watch the scene unfold.

Just then Guy arrived. "Then what do we do," he said. "We need to destroy those launchers up there. But if we lose Division One, we'll lose our advantage."

Hiashi then looked to them and said, "I'm heading back. I'll take a small group with me. Guy, you take command of the Division in my absence."

"Right," Guy said.

"I'm going too," Naruto said.

"No," Hiashi said. "We need your help to take out those launchers." Hiashi dipped into his flak jacket and removed the specialized, three-pronged kunai and handed it to Guy. "Here," he said. "In case you need to execute the plan without me."

Hiashi quickly turned and leapt away with a dozen ninja in tow. _Hinata, Hanabi, I'm coming_, he said. _Please just hold on._

******A few minutes later******

"So tell me again what the plan is," one of the Naruto clones asked.

"We're the distraction," Shikaku said as he stared across the wide open expanse at the hundreds of Akatsuki soldiers who stood in front of the two large shuriken launchers. "We will attack them head on and force them to focus their entire force on us. In the meantime, Yamato and his group are hiding and once the enemy is distracted they'll move in to destroy the entire thing. We'll also try to get both of your clones close to it to give the final blow."

Both Naruto clones looked around at the hundreds of Konoha ninja that had gathered to destroy the launchers. They all were tired, some injured and dirty. Right next to him was Konohamaru, Guy, Iruka, Shikaku, Choza and Choji and as he looked about one of the clones spotted a familiar young face. It was young boy Katsu, from earlier this morning. Naruto was glad to see him alive but saddened to know that he was here.

"All right," Guy said. "Let's do this!"

Across the plain, hanging half way up one of the launchers was Suigetsu, who was using his hand to shade his eyes from the sun. Suigetsu smiled as he saw hundreds of Konoha ninja pouring out of the trees heading towards them. Suigetsu climbed down the launcher and looked to Juugo who was standing near by.

"It looks like things are finally gonna get interesting," Suigetsu said with a smile. "And here I thought playing security guard for these fucking things would be boring."

"You enjoy battle far too much Suigetsu," Juugo said.

"Ha! Don't act like you don't either Juugo," Suigetsu said. "Maybe if you allowed yourself to cut loose once and a while you wouldn't have had to create an alter ego to release your dark side."

Juugo stared at Suigetsu harshly and then turned his back to him. "You don't know anything about the burden I have to carry," he said.

"Burdens are just weights we choose to carry Juugo," Suigetsu said. "All ya gotta do is put it down." Suigetsu then looked at all of the men who wee reading themselves for Konoha's arrival.

"Well," he yelled. "What the hell are all you idiots standing around for! Our job is to protect these fucking things right? So get your asses out there and spill some blood!"

The ninjas all sprinted out to meet the Konoha ninjas as Suigetsu laughed riotously. Just then he noticed several birds high in the sky and paused as he watched them. Just as Juugo was about to leave, Suigetsu grabbed his shoulder to stop him. "Not so fast my friend," Suigetsu said with a smile. "We may have other guests to the party."

******Meanwhile******

Madara remained stoic as he watched the war progress. "Konoha's forces have engaged Suigetsu, Juugo and their division," Sasuke said. "And Ayuki has made it to those Hyuga. She's already summoned five dozen of our men. They'll soon be taken care of. However…"

"However," Madara asked.

"How long will I have to play this game of yours Madara," Sasuke said impatiently. "I told you, Konoha has to be destroyed by my hand."

"And it will Sasuke," Madara replied. "This is but the opening blow. The final strike will be made by us." Madara spread out his arms in a sweeping motion and gestured behind him where the ominous Demonic Statue of the Outer path sat. "But before then," Madara said. "There is still yet one more card that must be played."

End of Chapter Twenty Three

Next Time: Innocence Ends

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"All men dream...but not equally..."

_The Curse_ is coming...


	24. Innocence Ends

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to the End of Innocence. As always i begin by stating that I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

A special thanks to all those who reviewed my previous chapter: ZeroTail29; InARealPickle; Gravenimage; xDARKNESS; Christina322; Kushina's Truth of Hell; MyHikari; Diamond Man; Sasuke K; goldone5; charles cdv; Shan117; The Flying Lion and LoveOfYourLife.

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**RESPONCES**

**ZeroTail29** - Glad you liked the chapter. i hope you enjoy what I have in mind for the final battle with Naruto. I'm sure you'll be pleased.

**InARealPickle** - Oh! You think Konoha's in trouble? My friend you have yet to see how much trouble they're in Lol!

**Gravenimage** - Thanx.

**xDARKNESS** - Lol! Well, that was unexpected! But i no homo you too bro! LoL! I'm glad the action has bee working fro you so far. But I'm planning to ramp things up even more so stay tuned!

**Christina322** - LMAO! Betraying the manga huh! Well, if that is not high praise then I know not! I thank you my dear. As for the pacing and flow it is something that is paramount in my tale as well as planning out every thing from beginning to end. Fun fact: I never plan things out on paper before I write. I keep it all in the old brain. Lol! I'm glad you enjoy my depiction of the NS development. I know it was slow but I was betting on it being more satisfying after the wait. Hope to hear from you again and enjoy!

**Kushina's** - I think this be the shortest review you've ever written Kushina. (Not that I pay attention to those things. :.:)Glad you liked it dear!

**MyHikari **- Lol! It's funny how so few of you are asking what that's all about. But in time, that too shall reveal itself. Oh, and things aren't horrifying...not yet. Heh Heh!

**Diamond Man** - Lol! I'm used to you going off and talking about whatever inspires you DM. It's cool. Lol! Glad you like things but I warn you, I'm only warming up. What I got planned, is far bigger than this.

**Sasuke K **- Ok, I get it. But here's the thing, to say they now have a brother/sister relationship is not something you can say "just happened". I would have had to shown that a sibling relationship had developed and i didn't do that. In my story the Naruto / Hinata relationship is one of mutual understand and friendship. They are just not close enough to be like siblings.

**goldone5** - Cliffhangers are awesome! Thier like candy! SWEEEEET! Lol! Isn't it funny that a week after i introduce a character with undetectable chakra, Kishi then does the same thing. Makes you wonder who's copying who doesn't it? Lol! And yes, I have plans for her.

**charles cdv** - Thanx

**Shan117** - Thanx. And the Rock Lee chapters are ones I am especially proud of and I'm glad you loved them. And yes, I do have a plan for each and every thing to come. Some of the ideas i've had from the very beginning while others were developed as I wrote. But I think it's all starting to come to gether well.

**The Flying Lion** - Thanx.

**LoveOfYourLife** - I post weekly. Except for last week. (which I will explain shortly) I'm happy that you've found my story to be compelling and I hope you love it all the way to it's conclusion.

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**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Ok, so here is chapter 24. I apologize for not releasing a chapter last weekend. I had a bit of a family emergency that took up my time. Hopefully I will be able to stick to my schedule from here on. So enjoy and please remember to leave me a review of my work. Thanx!

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Naruto's fist crashed into the Akatsuki ninja's chin with incredible force, knocking him out cold instantly. He then quickly pulled a kunai from his belt and blocked the sword being swung directly at his throat by another Takatsuki ninja. While he was stuck in fight for dominance with this ninja, two more attacked from behind him. Realizing the danger Naruto concentrated and then released a powerful blast of wind knocking everyone back and to the ground.

Before they could recover Naruto kicked one attacker in the head, picked up his unconscious body and threw it at another ninja, knocking them both away. The third ninja ran up behind him, only to see Naruto vanish before his eyes. The ninja then felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck and fell to the ground. Naruto had used his speed to get around behind him and knocked him out.

He quickly looked around to see all of his comrades locked in one battle or another. Choji, his father Choza and several other members of their clan were using their Super Multi Size Technique to enlarge themselves to fantastic proportions. In that form they began swatting Akatsuki ninja like flies as they fought through their seemingly endless numbers.

Naruto could also see the other clone of himself, as well as Iruka, Guy and Konohamaru each locked in battle as they all tried to push further and further up the hill towards the two launchers. Naruto had lost sight of Shikaku as they ascended but every so often he could hear his voice, spurring them on to keep fighting.

Naruto heard a wild scream and turned to see another Akatsuki ninja leap into the air ready to attack. Naruto leapt back out of range and got into a defensive stance just as the ninja closed in. The ninja took a deep breath and spat out a large mass of water that quickly broke into hundreds of small globes of water, each about the size of a fist. The globes then began to flatten and sharpen and took the shape of shurikens. Then the man yelled, "Water Style: Water Shuriken Jutsu!'

The man then outstretched his right arm and all of the shurikens launched towards Naruto. Naruto began to leap and spin between the shurikens as he considered a way to defeat his assailant. Naruto quickly pulled several kunai from his belt and threw them at the ninja who used several of his shurikens to knock them away. The ninja laughed and said, "You have to do better than that!'

Naruto stopped and made several hand signs just as the shurikens closed in and said, "Wind Style: Divine Down Current!" A large vortex of wind blasted from Naruto's open palms, slamming into the shurikens and knocking them all to the ground and turning them back into water.

The ninja merely stood in shock as he watched Naruto's display of power and once done Naruto quickly sprinted towards him, intent on finishing the fight. Just then the ninja grinned and with a small movement of his hands the water on the ground began to rise and reformed into a large shuriken and launched at Naruto. Naruto was able to see it just in time and leaned back as the shuriken whizzed by his face.

The ninja laughed as he said, "Did you really think that would be enough to defeat my Water Style?"

Naruto looked at the ninja harshly as he wiped a tiny bit of blood trickled from his cheek. "Alright," he said. "Let's take this seriously then."

Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XXIV: Innocence Ends

High above the battle ground Sai, Yamato, Shino, Ibiki, Tsume and her ninja dog Kuromaru were each sitting on one of Sai's ink birds. "Alright," Yamato said. "They've gotten Akatsuki's attention. Tsume and Shino, I want you two to take the one on the right. Ibiki and I will destroy the left one. Sai, you stay up here to back us up. Got it?"

Before they could descend however they were suddenly taken off guard when a blast of pure chakra exploded in between them, destroying all of the ink birds and causing them all to fall. Sai quickly pulled his scroll out and drew a bird which came to life. He quickly grabbed the legs of one of them and slowed his fall.

Sai tucked and rolled as he landed on the flat surface of one of the large metal four bladed shurikens atop the launcher. He then heard Tsume moaning and grasping at her ankle nearby. Sai ran over and asked, "Are you alright?"

"I think it's broken," Tsume responded.

"We need to get it looked at," Kuromaru said.

"No," she said. "There's no time. We need to destroy this thing ASAP."

It was then they heard laughter coming from the distance. Sai, Tsume and Kuromaru looked to their right to see a lone man standing on another of the shuriken blade points. "You," Sai said in shock.

"Oh, this is just too good," Suigetsu said with a smile. He quickly leapt over to the blade point where Sai and Tsume was and then said, "Hello there pasty face. Did ya miss me?"

_******Meanwhile******_

"Do you have any idea what it was that hit us," Ibiki asked. He, Yamato and Shino had landed on the large shuriken on the other launcher.

"Yes," Yamato responded. "I've seen that before. We need to hurry and destroy this thing before…."

But Yamato instantly knew it was too late as he looked across to see a familiar face. He was tall with spiky orange hair and the red and black robe of the Akatsuki inner circle. "I'm sorry," Jugo said. "But I have orders to not let anyone leave here alive."

_******Meanwhile******_

Sai stood up and walked in front of Tsume. "Tsume," he said. "Can you move around enough to plant the charges on the launcher?"

"Yes," Tsume said as she used Kuromaru to get to her feet. She quickly sat on top of the dog and said, "Can you delay this guy long enough for me to get it done?"

"I don't really have much of a choice," Sai responded. "Go, quickly."

"Right," she said. "Once I'm done I'll be back to help. Let's go Kuromaru." Kuromaru quickly turned and ran off leaving the two men alone.

Suigetsu smiled and said, "Ya know, to be honest I'm kinda glad it'll just be you and me." Suigetsu then unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Sai. Sai could see the sunlight gleaming off the blade. "My Kubikiribocho has been itching to spill your blood, Pasty. And I'd prefer not to be interrupted so I could take my time."

Suigetsu then took off in a sprint towards Sai and leapt up in the air. "Now you're going to pay for making a fool out of me," he screamed as he swung his sword down.

_******Meanwhile******_

"Who is this guy Yamato-taicho," Shino asked as they stared at Jugo.

"He's a member of Akatsuki's inner circle," Yamato answered. "Anko and I had a run in with him. His abilities are unlike anything I've ever seen. He seems to be able to transform his body into different weapons. His strength and power increase with every transformation."

"Then how do we handle him," Ibiki asked.

"Close range is out of the question," Yamato responded. "We're going to have to keep our distance. Ibiki, you go and plant the charges. Shino and I will try to bring this bastard down."

"Right," Ibiki said before he leapt away.

Jugo watched as Ibiki ran and raised his hand towards him. Jugo's arm suddenly transformed into a cannon and he said, "I'm sorry but I can't let you do that." Jugo fired a blast of pure chakra at Ibiki but it was intercepted by several branches that grew from the ground and absorbed the blast.

Jugo looked back at Shino and Yamato and said, "If you run now I won't chase after you."

"Sorry, but that is not an option," Yamato responded.

"As you wish," Jugo said as he transformed both his arms into giant axes and sprinted towards them.

_******Meanwhile******_

Sai quickly drew his tanto from his back and blocked Suigetsu's attack. Sai's arm and hand instantly went numb from the force behind Suigetsu's attack and he quickly ducked under Suigetsu's follow-up attack.

Sai rolled back and then flipped back to put space between him and Suigetsu and he began to shake his numb arm hoping to quickly get feeling back into it.

"Oh, did that hurt you," Suigetsu said smugly as he shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry. Sometimes I just don't know my own strength. But I gotta say, you're stronger than you look. Usually I'm able to slice right through a man's arm with that attack."

"Tch," Sai said as he quickly reached behind his back and pulled out a tan scroll with golden edges.

"Oh no you don't," Suigetsu yelled as he ran towards Sai. "I have no interest in fighting your little drawings!" Suigetsu swung his sword towards Sai forcing him to leap out of the way as he furiously drew in his scroll. Suddenly several figures emerged from the page forcing Suigetsu to halt his attack. Standing between him and Sai were four, six foot tall, armored samurai. "Hmm," Suigetsu said with a smile. "This is different."

The samurai drew their swords and began to attack Suigetsu, forcing him back as he blocked strike after strike. Suigetsu suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back. Turning he saw it was Sai who had made his way behind him while Suigetsu was distracted and sliced him with his sword.

Suigetsu grimaced and swung his blade around, intent of cutting Sai in half. Again Sai leapt out of range and Suigetsu was cut twice by the Ink Samurai. "Shit," Suigetsi said as he looked at the fresh wound on his arm. "I've had enough of this shit!"

Suigetsu's right arm suddenly began to grow in size until it was impossibly large. He then struck one of the samurai, slicing it cleanly in two. But just as he did that, the samurai began to glow and then exploded.

_******Meanwhile******_

Yamato quickly grabbed Shino by the collar and yanked him back just as Jugo swung his axe shaped arm. Yamato then created a large mass of wood from his palm. It slammed into Jugo's chest and pushed him back and away from them.

Jugo, raised his arm and sliced through the wood, stopping his momentum. Just then he heard a massive explosion and looked over to where Suigetsu was fighting and saw plumes of smoke rising. "Hmmm," Jugo said. "Suigetsu is playing around far too much. He needs to get on with things and set off the trap."

"Trap," Yamato asked as he closed in on Jugo with a kunai in hand. The kunai was aimed for Jugo's heart and Jugo quickly raised his hand to block it. Yamato buried the kunai deep into Jugo's palm and much to his surprise, Jugo didn't show one hint of pain. "What trap?"

******Meanwhile******

Sai stood calmly as he waited for the smoke to clear hoping this fight was over. He knew it wasn't when he heard Suigetsu's laughter. "Damn you sure are full of tricks Pasty," Suigetsu said. "Now let me take a guess. The ink you're using, it's laced with some sort of explosive am I right?"

"It explodes on contact," Sai responded.

Suigetsu stopped laughing and looked at the other three ink samurai and then looked out towards the massive battle taking place all around the base of the surrounding hill. "A little more time and then the real surprise can happen," he said with a smile. 'But in the mean time let's have some more fun."

Suigetsu suddenly turned his body into liquid and ran towards the samurai. One samurai swung its blade into Suigetsu's body only for it to pass harmlessly through him. Suigetsu then sliced into the samurai causing it to explode, but he had already stretched his liquid form far away from the blast.

The other two ink samurai closed in on him and sliced into his body, again both blades passed harmlessly through him. Suigetsu then spun, swinging his sword around and sliced through both of them. Again each exploded but Suigetsu avoided each blast by stretching away.

Finally with all of them destroyed he turned his body back to solid form and sprinted towards Sai and screamed, "Enough of the games! I'm going to slice you up limb by limb!" Sai quickly drew onto his scroll and two dozen miniature lions, about the size of a medium sized dog, leapt from the page and ran to intercept Suigetsu.

Suigetsu began to slice through each lion and dodge the resulting explosions expertly as he made his way towards Sai. Suigetsu suddenly felt his momentum stop and he looked back to see three of the lions biting down on his sword, pulling him back and as he tried to rip free two more bit down into each leg and another into his arm. "Fuck," he yelled. "Damn you!"

Suigetsu then turned into water and each of the lions passed through him. He quickly swung his sword, throwing the lions off and then ran towards Sai. "I'm done letting you make a fool out of me," he yelled as he turned his arm into water and stretched out with his blade to cut into Sai. The move caught Sai off guard and as he leapt to side step the attack the blade sliced into his side. Blood gushed from the wound as Sai fell to his knees.

With Sai's focus thrown off the lions shattered and fell into pools of ink. Suigetsu smiled and ran at Sai, ready to end his life. Just as he was about to close in, a large two-headed, black wolf appeared behind him and began to spin at an incredible speed. "Fang Wolf Fang," it yelled as it crashed into Suigetsu's back, launching him forward and off the edge of the shuriken.

Sai groaned as he clutched his wound. He was bleeding badly and he knew he needed to have it treated. He winced as he looked up to see the large wolf towering over him and he quickly reached in his bag and grabbed a tube. The two headed wolf looked down at Sai and then disappeared in a puff of smoke revealing Tsume and Kuromaru.

Tsume winced and clutched her ankle. "Are you alright," Kuromaru asked.

"I'm fine damn it, now quite asking me," Tsume said as she gritted her teeth. "How about you Sai?"

Sai opened his shirt and put some of the chemical on his wound causing it to close up slightly. He groaned as the medicine did its work, stopping the bleeding and closing the wound partially. After it was done he pulled a piece of cloth from his flak jacket and wrapped it around his stomach. _This will help for now_, he thought. _But I need to get this looked at soon._

Once done he looked to Tsume who was standing over him. "You finished nursing that little cut," she asked. "We should head over to the next launcher and help Yamato and the others. I covered this thing with enough paper bombs to level the entire….guh!"

Tsume found herself speechless as she stared at the large, bloody blade protruding out of her chest. Behind her they could here a familiar voice say, "You did? How very unfortunate. I guess I'm gonna have to stop having fun then."

"Tsume-chan," Kuromaru yelled. Sai stared in horror at the agonized look on Tsume's face and the blood dripping from the sword. Slowly Tsume was lifted in the air and as she struggled to turn to see her attacker, she and Sai saw the smiling Suigetsu behind her, lifting the blade, with her attached, high into the sky.

"Well," Suigetsu said. "Lookie here. I thought I said that I wanted to fight you alone Pasty. And here you allow this old bitch to interfere! Hmpf!" Suigetsu swung the blade and threw Tsume off the sword and sent her helpless form crashing to the floor.

"Tsume," Kuromaru yelled as he saw her fall. The dog then turned to Suigetsu and roared before sprinting towards him. Suigetsu deftly sidestepped his first attack and sliced Kuromaru in the side. The dog yelped and fell to the ground motionless.

"Anymore interruptions," Suigetsu asked as he looked around mockingly. "No," he asked as he propped the large blood stained blade on his shoulder. "Good. Now…where was I?"

_******Meanwhile******_

Far below the fight between Suigetsu and Sai, the forces of Konoha was locked in a vicious battle with Akatsuki forces, desperately trying to push their way through to the launchers to destroy them.

Near the base of the hill and at the outskirts of the battle, Tokuma Hyuga and several other ninja arrived and witnessed the massive battle taking place. "Let's go," one ninja yelled as several of them ran into the fight. Tokuma began to follow but quickly stopped.

_Wait a minute_, he thought. He then turned to another young ninja and said, "You there! Do you have a map on you!"

"Yes of course," the ninja yelled.

"Let me see it," Tokuma replied as the ninja handed it to him. Tokuma unrolled it and quickly scanned through it. "Just as I thought," he said. "I've patrolled this area countless times and I've never seen this hill before. And there is no hill marked on this map."

"So what does that mean," the ninja asked.

Tokuma lowered the map and activated his Byakugan and scanned the entire hill. "What the," he said in shock.

"What is it," the ninja asked.

"Paper," Tokuma answered as he continued to scan the hill. "It's a large piece of paper, buried under the ground."

"How large," the ninja asked. "It….it almost looks like a large single piece of paper that wraps around the hill all the way from the base to the top," Tokuma replied. "It's like one big scroll." Tokuma knew he needed a higher vantage point. He saw a high branch and leapt up to it and looked down. "Oh no," he whispered in horror. He was right. It was one large, continuous scroll. But it wasn't until he could see the writing on it did the horror truly set in.

"Fall back," Tokuma screamed as loudly as he could to any who could hear him. He then looked to the ninja's below and said, "Tell everyone you can to fall back now!"

"What's wrong Tokuma," one ninja asked.

"It's a trap," Tokuma yelled. "Tell everyone to fall back now or they're all gonna die!"

_******Meanwhile******_

Jugo slid back from the blow from Yamato's technique. He then looked at his arms at the hundreds of bugs crawling about. "These things drain chakra right," Jugo asked calmly. He then began to glow and released a massive amount of chakra from his body, incinerating every last bug. He then looked over to the other launcher. _What's taking you so long Suigetsu_, he thought.

Using that brief moment Yamato closed in. "Water Style: Tearing Torrent!" From his palm, Yamato fired a large blast of spiraling water that struck Jugo head on and blasted him back and almost off of the large shuriken. The attack clearly hurt him as he struggled to get to his feet.

Just then Jugo felt something on his back. It was Shino who had made his way behind him and attached an explosive tag to his back before disappearing in a mass of insects and reappearing beside Yamato. As soon as he got there he made a hand sign and said, "Release!" The tag exploded engulfing Jugo in the blast.

_******Meanwhile*******_

The explosion caught Suigetsu's attention and he looked to see the fire and large plumes of smoke atop the other launcher. "Oh? Jugo's not going to like that," he said with a smirk. Seeing that Suigetsu was distracted, Sai tried to lunge at him with his sword. But the pain in his side slowed him and Suigetsu easily parried the attack. "Ah ah ah ," he said. "We can finish our fight after the festivities."

"What….are…you….talking about," Sai asked as he gasped for breath.

Suigetsu sighed and folded his arms after sheathing his sword. "C'mon," he said. "Think about it. I mean look at these launchers. Do you know what these things are? Yes, they are deadly, that much is clear. But you know what else they are? They're big fucking targets! So big, no one could resist. Don't you think?"

Sai looked up at Suigetsu who had an evil grin plastered on his face and realized what he was saying. His eyes grew wide as he looked back to see hundreds of his comrades down on the hill fighting. All in one place.

Sai turned back to see Suigetsu make a hand sign. "No," Sai yelled. "You'll kill your own men."

Suigetsu stopped and looked at Sai and asked, "What's your point?"

_******Meanwhile******_

Shikaku sliced through an Akatsuki ninja whose body fell like a lead brick. He quickly turned to see who to attack next when a Konoha ninja came up. "Shikaku-taicho," he said. "Tokuma has sent me to warn you. He has found out that this entire hill is a trap. A massive explosive tag has been buried under the ground!"

"What," Shikaku yelled in disbelief. "Fall back," he yelled desperately. "It's a trap! Everyone fall back!" But as the ground began to rumble and first of the bits of light began to pierce forth from the ground he knew he was too late.

******Meanwhile******

Sai watched in horror as the earth shattering explosion ripped through everything below him before blinding him with light and deafening him with the sounds of screams, death and thunder. The last thing Sai could hear was the maniacal laughter of Suigetsu, and then everything went black.

And, several miles away Madara, Sasuke, Kisame and Karin stood watching the explosion in the distance. Once the sound died away Madara calmly said, "You see Sasuke. Sometimes the most efficient way to exterminate pests is to lure them with irresistible bait. This way you can kill them all at once."

"Hmph," Sasuke said as he crossed his arms. "Whatever you say Madara."

Madara looked at Sasuke for a moment before turning his attention to Kisame. "You know what to do Kisame. It's time for you to go," Madara said.

"It's about time," Kisame responded as he walked to the edge of the cliff and looked down to the large valley below when a massive army, numbering in the thousands, remained waiting impatiently. "Alright you bastards," he yelled down. "It's time to move out! We head to Konoha! Kill everything that moves!"

End of Chapter Twenty Four

Next Time: Rage of the Emotionless Blade

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_"Some men dream of family, friends and happiness. Others dream of power, destruction and dominion over others."_

_The Curse_ is coming!


	25. Rage of the Emotionless Blade

**_INTRODUCTION_**

Welcome to the back to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I like to begin by stating that I do not own Naruto.

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**_THANK YOU_**

A special thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Diamond Man; xDARKNESS; FoxSage19; InARealPickle; airnaruto45; Kushina's Truth of Hell; charles cdv; MyHikari; ZeroTail29; Ryan L. Spradling; tdwtfan1899; theshreedshrew; The Flying Lion; hideki411; Sikai; hothead11; Sasuke K and SofiaCullen22

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**_RESPONCES_**

**Diamond Man** - Ha! I told you had a few surprises up my sleeve! As for who survived read this chapter for those answers.

**FoxSage19** - Great! That's exactly where I want you to stay till the end of my story.

**InARealPickle** - Bwhahahhahahaha! :D Er...oh!...sorry. I kinda let that slip. Anyway things are only going to get worse my friend!

**airnaruto45** - Ok...wait...no. Lol! As they say: "Bonnes choses viennent a ceux qui attendent."

**Kushina's** - Well, we're all entitled to a bad day once an a while. And i'm glad you've stuck around so long. As for Sai, I find him to be a compelling character and I wanted to show some light on him as well. I'm glad things worked out so well as far as his reception. As for Sasuke and Naruto, they will have thier moment. Trust me.

**charles cdv** - Thanx

**MyHikari** - LMAO! No it's not about the KibaIno thing. I promise this was my plan for a long time. Sorry, I don't get the HP reference, I don't like that story.

As for "the Curse" I have...no comment...yet. Lol! I'm glad you're enjoying the story!

**ZeroTail29** - Thanx.

**Ryan L. Spradling** - Huh? Well...ya never know what I may do. Lol!

**tdwtfan1899** - Naruto is already with Sakura. Please refer to chapter 22.

**theshrewedshrew** - Well, I do admit I am taking a few cues from the manga to formulate my story. But I have done this before. But i think you'll find as things go on that my war will be quite different in the end.

**The Flying Lion** - Well, it's nice to know you enjoyed the fight. But I never said it was over.

**hideki411** - Thanx.

**Sikai** - Thanx. Hope you continue to enjoy.

**hothead11** - Lol! Well, I'm glad you appriciate all the hard work and thought I put into the plotting and pacing of this story. And if you like that you should check out another ongoing fic i have for Bleach. It's on hiatus until I finish this one but I think you'll like it. As for the personalities of the characters one of the things that was most important to me at the beginning was showing older, more mature characters that still seem very close to canon. I think for the most part, I've nailed it so far. Sorry for the spelling errors. I re-read these chapters 3 times before releasing it but sometimes i miss one or two.

**Sasuke K** - I know the rapid scene change can be a bit problematic. But to me it's the best way to convey all the things that are happening simultaneaously.

**SofiaCullen22** - Thanx.

* * *

**_MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR_**

Ok, so here is chapter 25. I hope you enjoy and please remember to leave a little review on your way out the door. Thanx!

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_******Konoha – Many years ago******_

He can remember it like it was yesterday. In a dark, cavernous meeting hall far below the bustling streets of Konoha, where the ignorant masses went about their lives, unaware of the people and actions that went about around them for their safety, he found himself on one knee as his master, the one man he had been programmed to obey above all others, addressed him.

"I've arranged it so that you have been assigned to Team Kakashi," the old man said. "You're not just around the same age as Uzumaki Naruto; you're stronger than anyone in your generation in the village and more than anything…..your artistic mind is simply amazing. From this day on, until the mission is complete, your name…..is Sai."

And so it was, in this darkness, where is seemed only death could thrive, Sai was born. Before then, he was nothing but a number. Just another nameless face in a nameless crowd. He never knew his mother or father. Where they dead? Where they alive somewhere, believing their son dead? Was he even born of Konoha citizens? Was he kidnapped from some far away village? He didn't know. And to be honest, he couldn't remember the last time he even questioned it. It wasn't his job to question things. One of the first lessons he ever learned was "weapons don't ask questions." And that's all he was…a weapon. To be used and discarded at the whim of his master.

But it was a harsh lesson to learn. For it is a child's nature to ask why. And every time he did, he was punished….severely. It was one of the many memories he was glad to have blocked out. As was the tears. They were always bitter. To be child, dreaming of his mothers embrace. Or for a father to tell him things were going to be ok. Praying for someone, anyone to comfort him. Yet no one came. No one ever came. No one ever cared. He was alone. To them he wasn't a child. Or even a person. All he was to them was Root Cadet 732. It was a harsh existence. One without happiness or hope. For what would a weapon need with such meaningless things?

Other boys were there as well. All of them scared. All of them alone. With the only thing to look forward to was the work. The training. And the fear that the next training would finally kill you. None of the other kids talked to each other. Doing that would mean severe punishment. None of the other kids played with each other. Not that any of them even knew how to play any way.

For Cadet 732, this was life. He came to believe this is what life was for everyone. Until he met Cadet 649. Cadet 649 was a few years older than him but unlike the other children, he seemed unafraid of the punishment for speaking. Cadet 649 was the first one who noticed his artistic ability and gave him the confidence to improve upon it.

Art quickly became cadet 732's refuge. It was the one place where he could do something just for him. Art was his. Until, like all gifts a child was born with, it was taken and turned into a weapon. His gift, his refuge, was perverted just like everything else. And he hated them for it. Hate? Was that right? Hate? To be honest Cadet 732 wasn't sure if what he felt was hate but according to what the books he'd read had stated on the matter, what he felt was close enough.

Then, over a year later, Cadet 649 came to him with news. First he was given a name for use in the outside world, Shin. Then he was informed of the final test required to pass and become a full fledged member of Root. The test was to kill the person closest to him. And it was decided that that person, was Cadet 732.

But before this was to ever happen, Shin was killed during a mission. From that day, what ever little light there was within him died. And with all things that was once his now gone; he truly became a tool of Root. That was, of course, until that day. When he was given his name and his mission. When he met the idiot savant, Uzumaki Naruto. Everything Naruto did, every way he acted seemed so illogical and against everything Sai had been taught. Naruto was reckless, didn't think, he was far too emotional and cared about things a ninja should not.

He was….so much like Shin. And that, for the first time since he could remember, made him smile. So Sai decided to go against his training and everything he'd been taught. He began to care about people and want to make friends. He wanted bonds and to smile. And in time, he had come to care about his comrades. And they cared for him, until of course; Danzo decided to revolt and took the title of Hokage by force.

At first Sai wanted to fight back. He wanted to do what ever he could to stop Danzo. But Tsunade came to him with another idea. Sai was trusted by Danzo. Sai was on the inside. He could be the perfect person to get the information necessary to bring Danzo down. So Sai agreed. _Anything to stop Danzo_, he thought. Even if it meant being hated by the very people he'd come to care for. So he chose to be shunned by his friends. He chose to be alone. Again.

But this time, he had more than just some mere mission, he had a purpose. A purpose far greater than himself. And knowing that comforted him during those lonely days and nights. He was no longer a tool for Danzo, but for his friends, for Konoha, for Naruto.

His purpose was to fight for his comrades. And now, those comrades were burning below him. He could smell their flesh as it turned to ash. He could feel the heat of the flames that rose from carnage below him. It felt like he had betrayed and failed his purpose. And more importantly, he had failed all who believed in him. And the very man responsible for it stood laughing as he admired his work.

It was then Sai felt something he hadn't felt in years. It was then he knew that what he had felt all those years ago was indeed hate, because he felt it now. For the first time in years, the emotionless blade, felt rage.

Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XXV: Rage of the Emotionless Blade

_******Land of Fire – Now******_

Suigetsu laughed as he stared down at the massive fires and destruction far below. He had just implemented the ingenious trap thought up by Madara. Several weeks before the beginning of this mission, Madara had sent several ninja into the Land of Fire covertly and under the cover of night created a large hill which would mask the large explosive tag that Madara had created.

And things had gone off smoothly. Konoha had just suffered a crippling attack and all that was sacrificed as a few hundred of their own soldiers. Not a bad loss at all. Now there was one more task to be done. Suigetsu turned, lifting his blade. It was now time for the Great Beheader to prove its name.

Suigetsu turned and saw Sai kneeling down and staring at the ground. "I guess you have no more fight left in you huh," Suigetsu said as he walked up to him. "That's fine then. Let's end it I guess." He placed his blade over Sai'd head and lowered it so that his head passed through the hole in the center of the sword. It was then Sai finally raised his head so that his eyes could meet Suigetsu's. There was a look in his eyes that Suigetsu had seen before many times. Blind Rage. It amused Suigetsu however. To this point, this bastard's face was always the same. He never showed fear, surprise, sadness or even pain. It was like fighting a living statue. Finally, he could see some emotion on his face. Now he was going to carve it off.

"Wow," Suigetsu said. "It looks like you're pretty upset huh? Are you going to give me some boring speech now about how you're going to kill me?"

Sai glared at Suigetsu. His eyes were as black as coal with only the light of the flames reflecting in his eyes. "No," Sai said. "No speeches. The only thing I want to do….is make you hurt."

"Tch," Suigetsu said. "Just die!" Suigetsu pulled on his Kubikiribocho slicing cleanly through Sai's neck and his head flew into the sky. But much to Suigetsu's surprise, Sai's head and body turned to ink and the ink landed in Suigetsu's face, blinding him.

Sai then appeared behind him and sliced Suigetsu in the shoulder, burying his tanto deep into his flesh and shoulder bone causing Suigetsu to scream in pain and swing out behind him. Sai dodged the attack and seemed to disappear. "Damn you," Suigetsu yelled has he tried to locate Sai through his blurred vision.

Sai then appeared in the air above him and swung his tanto down at Suigetsu's head but Suigetsu quickly raised his sword and blocked the attack. Sai disappeared again, shocking Suigetsu. _His speed_, Suigetsu thought as Sai appeared to his left. Again Suigetsu moved his blade to block the attack but this time Sai was too fast, slicing Suigetsu in the side of his chest.

Before Suigetsu could react, Sai appeared below him and sliced him in the stomach. If not for the armor Suigetsu was wearing he would have been disemboweled on the spot.

Enraged, Suigetsu blindly began to swing his sword and cut Sai deeply across the chest, forcing him back. Sai used his free hand to cover the wound as he fell to one knee. He was hurt badly and his previous wound had reopened as well.

But Suigetsu was now similarly hurt and was staggering back and forth as his legs threatened to give way. Finally, Suigetsu got the ink out of his eyes and screamed, "That's it you son of a bitch! I see you now! I was going to kill you quick but now I'm going to hack you up!"

Suigetsu sprinted towards Sai, howling like a wild beast at Sai. Sai quickly got to his feet and ducked under Suigetsu's attack. But Suigetsu was ready for that. He quickly enlarged his free hand and punched Sai in the chest with a massive amount of force, knocking him back and sliding across the metal floor.

Suigetsu, wasted no time, sprinting towards Sai again, intent on finishing things with the next blow. Sai rolled backwards and on to his feet and readied his tanto. He removed two smoke bombs from his belt and threw them to the ground. They exploded, causing a massive amount of smoke to blind Suigetsu.

Suigetsu swung his blade, hoping to catch Sai but he was already gone. He then suddenly felt as though something was grabbing him from below. As the smoke cleared Suigetsu saw he was standing in a small puddle of ink. And out of the puddle were dozens of ink snakes rising out and wrapping themselves around him. Suigetsu looked up to see Sai, slowly limping towards his special scroll.

"You pasty bastard," Suigetsu yelled after Sai. "You think this can hold me you dumb fuck?"

Sai ignored him as he picked up the scroll with his blood stained hand. He quickly began to draw as Suigetsu cut through Sai's trap. Finally he was free and grinned as he raised his blade and ran towards Sai again. "No more tricks this time," he yelled. "Now you're mine!"

Sai was forced to dodge the attack and accidentally let go of the scroll causing it to fall over the side of the shuriken. The pain became too great for him and it forced him to trip and fall backwards and he then came face to face with Suigetsu's sword. "Well," Suigetsu said as he stood over him. "This is it. It's over now Pasty."

Suddenly Suigetsu noticed that the entire area became covered in an inky blackness. He lowered his sword as he looked around in amazement. It seemed like they were now encased in a dome made of Sai's ink. And then a large figure rose up from the side of the launcher.

It was impossibly tall, easily several stories taller than even the launcher they were standing on. Its skin was made of the very ink Sai used and its eyes glowed yellow and was menacing. It was a thin, human looking male with waist-length, black hair, four arms and one sword in each hand. The two on the left seemed to burn with ink colored flame while the other two seemed to crackle with electricity.

"My ultimate art," Sai said. "Futsu-Nushi-no-Kami, the God of War." Suigetsu turned back to Sai who had disappeared. The great deity then sliced down with its flame of blades at the stunned Suigetsu who quickly tried the leap clear. The flames burned him as the blow landed and though he had dodged the attacks the force of the hit took him off his feet and caused him to drop his sword.

Suigetsu looked up with a look of pure terror on his face as Futsu-Nushi-no-Kami's other swords came crashing down. _I only have one chance_, Suigetsu thought as the blade came crashing down and Suigetsu screamed in pain.

A moment later the dome of ink broke and the ink fell to the earth far below. The Deity too was gone and only Sai remained. Sai stood motionless as he looked up at the sun. It was almost noon and the sun was almost directly overhead.

Sai looked over to where Tsume and Kuromaru's bodies where and they were gone. He could see streaks of blood and knew they had dragged themselves away and most likely climbed down the launcher during his fight. _Good_, he thought. _Futsu-Nushi-no-Kami would have killed them too if they had remained._ Sai began to walk to the edge of the shuriken and he looked down at his wounds. Both were leaking blood profusely and he knew he had little time left.

It was then he heard a familiar laughter coming from behind him. Sai looked back, showing no sign of shock, to see Suigetsu standing behind him. His armor and clothes were nearly completely burned away and he had horrible burns and scars on his skin and he was barely holding on to his sword. "Nice….hah….try…hah," he said. "But Lighting can be absorbed by water. All…..I had to do….was transform."

Sai looked away and stared at the damage far below. "I know that," he said.

"What," Suigetsu asked.

"I said I knew that," Sai responded. "I knew you would transform to water. I planned on it."

"You planned to fail," Suigetsu asked as he lifted his sword.

"The ink I used has an explosive in it remember," Sai said. "And like you said. You were able to absorb it."

Suigetsu's eyes widened as the realization of what that meant dawned on him. He quickly tried to run after Sai to cut him down. But absorbing the attack had weakened him to the point where he could barely run. "Damn you," he said. "You Pasty fuck!"

"Sai," Sai said as he looked back at Suigetsu with a false smile. "My name is Sai."

Sai made the hand sign and Suigetsu's body exploded with such force it launched his Kubikiribocho high in the sky. Sai closed his eyes as the water Suigetsu was made of rained down upon him. Suigetsu's sword finally hit the ground, clanging as the two metals struck each other giving things a sense of finality.

Sai opened his eyes and looked out across the blue sky. "My name is Sai," he whispered before he collapsed.

_******Meanwhile******_

Yamato moaned as he held the small knot on his head. He slowly got to his feet and helped Shino up. "Are you alright," he asked.

"Yes," Shino answered. "What was that?"

"Some sort of explosion," Yamato answered before looking out and seeing the destruction far below. Both men stared dumbfounded. "Oh no," Yamato whispered. "That was the trap he was talking about. Some sort of bomb."

"What do we do," Shino asked.

"We should head down and see if there are any survivors," Yamato responded. Just then they heard a deep, animal-like growl come from behind them. There was fire and smoke behind them from the explosive tag they had planted and in the center of it they could see a large, hulking figure. As it stepped out of the smoke they were startled at what they saw.

They knew it was the ninja they were facing before, but now he looked completely different. His entire skin had turned dark grey and various added appendages protruded from his back, arms and face. His eyes were yellow and black and he had a feral, deranged look to him. "I am going to devour you both," he screamed. "I am going to rip your limbs off one by one and feed them to you!" Jugo then slammed both his fists into the ground causing the entire launcher to shake violently.

Yamato and Shino looked on in horror at Jugo's raw strength and were surprised to see the large shuriken they were all standing on began to crack. Jugo again, slammed his fists into the ground and that was enough to split the shuriken in two and the entire launcher began to collapse.

Yamato and Shino began to fall and Yamato quickly grabbed Shino and yelled, "Hold on!" He made several hand signs and a large tree began to sprout up from the ground far blow. The rubble from the launcher began slamming and cutting into the branches, forcing Yamato to force the tree to continue growing and both he and Shino reached out to grab branches to slow their fall.

Finally, both men landed on the ground and saw they were surrounded by rubble, broken large shurikens and flames. Then they saw Jugo atop the rubble. "Break you," he yelled. "I am going to rip you both apart!"

_******Meanwhile******_

Naruto's clone dug himself out of the rubble and coughed as it looked around in shock. All there was as far as the eye could see was death and destruction. As it got to its feet it felt a sudden tremor within it. _Damn_, it thought. _I'm almost out of chakra. I'll disappear soon._

The other clone had succumbed to the explosion and had disappeared. This clone began to walk around desperately hoping to find someone alive. As he made his way around he could see the bodies of Konoha and Akatsuki ninja everywhere. None were alive. It was then he saw movement and he rushed over. There was a body pinned under a fallen tree and as Naruto got closer he recognized the person. It was the young boy, Katsu.

The clone lifted the tree off of him and quickly kneeled beside him. "Katsu," he yelled as he looked at the boy. Both his legs were broken and horribly twisted and blood was trickling out of his ears and nose. He was gasping for breath and was clearly trying to talk.

"It's alright," Naruto said as he tried to comfort him. "Don't talk. It's going to be ok." Naruto began to look around and desperately began to yell, "Help! Can anyone hear me! Help!"

Naruto looked down at Katsu who raised his hand weakly as if he were reaching, pleading for help. Naruto began to tear up as he again desperately looked around for someone to help him. "Please," he pleaded. "Someone! Anyone! Please!" He then heard Katsu made a gurgling noise and he went limp and Naruto knew it was too late. Naruto remained silent as he stared into Katsu's now vacant eyes. It was then he heard Shikaku's voice calling out to him.

Shikaku, leaning on Choza's arm for support came up. They were both bloodied and dirty. Behind them were about two dozen ninja, including Choji, Konohamru, Iruka and Guy. Everyone was injured from minor to severe. "There you are," Shikaku said. "Here I thought both of your clones would have been destroyed." As they finally arrived and saw the young boy, everyone grew silent.

Naruto remained frozen, staring at Katsu. "As long as we live, we have hope," Naruto said. "Those were the words I said to him. And now, what hope does he have? I failed him."

Iruka limped up and kneeled next to Naruto and said, "Naruto, true hope come when things are at their worst. You can't give up now." Naruto slowly closed Katsu's eyes and remained silent. In the background they could hear the voices of other Konoha ninja who were arriving. Many were from the medical division. And they quickly began to treat as many as they could.

Shikaku said, "Don't treat us here. There could be enemies nearby. We need to move back!" Just then they heard a massive explosion and saw one of the launchers crumble. As it finally fell, Naruto, with a look of determination rose to his feet and began to walk towards it.

"Naruto," Iruka asked. "Where are you going?"

"To fight," he said. "As long as there is hope, we can fight."

_******Meanwhile******_

Shino's body slammed into a large nearby boulder. He quickly grabbed his chest in pain. He knew at least two of his ribs were now broken. He then saw a shadow over him and as he looked up he saw Jugo in the sky. His right arm was now even larger with a piston where his elbow should be. Jugo was falling right over Shino, ready to strike.

Shino moved as quickly as he could, leaning out of the way. "Argh," Jugo yelled as his arm crashed through the large boulder Shino was leaning on. The force of the blow was like a miniature explosion with threw Shino to the ground.

Shino raised his hand and a mass of bugs flew out of his sleeve and covered Jugo. Jugo began to swing at them and yelled, "Get these things off of me!" he then stopped and stared at Shino through the mass of bugs and growled. Again he screamed and released a massive amount of chakra, incinerating the bugs. Jugo began to slowly walk towards Shino when he was struck by a miniature landslide that threw him into a pile of nearby rocks and rubble. Shino looked around to see Yamato.

He was gasping for breath and terribly injured. His left arm was clearly broken and his legs were shaking. "Get….up…Shino," he said. "We need to come up with something to stop this guy." Shino got to his feet and made his way next to Yamato. Just then they heard movement coming from the pile of rubble and then Jugo broke free, sending rocks and dirt flying into the sky.

"Shino, how many more bugs do you have," Yamato asked.

"Several thousand," Shino responded.

"Our only shot is to reduce his chakra down more," Yamato said. "Have them ready when I tell you understand!"

Jugo sprinted towards them, both his arms now transformed into large rams with jets protruding from the upper shoulder. Yamato then said, "Wood Release: Great Forest Technique!" His arm then transformed into trees and then they began to extend, forming many razor sharp branches.

Jugo stopped and was forced to back away as the branches continued to stretch towards him. He began to punch the branches, breaking them, but more continued to take their place. Finally one broke through his defenses and stabbed him in the upper right shoulder. "Argh," he screamed as he punched the branch to break it. He then pulled the large, sharp end out of his shoulder and dropped it to the ground.

"Gotcha," Yamato yelled as he stopped his jutsu and made several more hand signs and slammed his hand to the wall. "Wood Release: Four Pillars Prison Technique."

Four large walls made of incredibly thick wood rose out of the ground surrounding Jugo and quickly encased him. "Alright Shino," Yamato said. "I left a small hole for your bugs to get through. Send them in there to drain his chakra. And hurry, this technique won't hold him for long."

Shino raised his sleeves and a large mass of bugs flew out and into the prison. Yamato and Shino could hear Jugo screaming and beating against the walls. Each time Jugo punched the walls they would reverberate and little cracks would appear.

"He's weakening but not fast enough," Yamato said. "Alright Shino call your bugs back. I planted explosive tags on the ground where he's standing before this."

Shino called the bugs out and once gone Yamato activated the bombs and the entire wooden prison shook from the severity of the blasts. Once the explosions stopped there was nothing but silence. "Did we do it," Shino asked.

Suddenly they could hear a massive banging against one side of the prison. Again and again they heard the banging, until finally the prison collapsed and broke apart. "Kill you," Jugo yelled as he stepped out of the rubble. Jugo was badly wounded with many deep burns on his face body and legs. His clothes were tattered and singed and he stank of burned flesh.

"Impossible," Shino said as he and Yamato stared in disbelief.

"Kill you," Jugo screamed. "I'll kill you both!" Suddenly Jugo moaned weakly and fell to one knee.

"He's weakened," Yamato yelled. "We need to finish him off now." Yamato and Shino each drew a kunai and ran towards Jugo who struggled to his feet. A large wing with talons grew from Jugo's back and blocked Shino's strike as he transformed his left arm into an axe and sliced Yamato across the chest.

Just as Jugo got to his feet a sword was stabbed into his back and came right through the other side. Jugo stared in shock before turning to see Ibiki behind him. "Time to die you bastard," he said as he pushed the sword deeper into Jugo.

Jugo roared and the next wing grew from his back, knocking Ibiki away and slicing his arm. Ibiki crashed to the floor and grabbed his injured arm. Jugo tried to reach back to pull the sword out but couldn't reach it and screamed out of frustration.

He then raised his arm, ready to slice Ibiki in half, when he was kicked in the side of the head and was thrown into a pile of rocks. Everyone looked up to see that it was Naruto. _I don't have much chakra in this clone left_, Naruto thought to himself. _I was planning to come up here to destroy that last launcher but I may have to use the last of my energy on this guy._

Jugo got to his feet slowly. Naruto could tell he was weakened. "Guys," Naruto said. "I don't have much chakra left. I can create one Rasengan. But I need you to keep him occupied long enough."

"Right," Yamato said as he, Ibiki and Shino stood by Naruto. "We'll do our best."

Naruto's clone began to focus his energy into his palm as Ibiki, Yamato and Shino each picked up any knife or sword they could find scattered about. Once armed they each sprinted at Jugo from different sides.

Jugo began to dodge and block each and every attack. _He's not transforming his body anymore_, Yamato thought. _His chakra must be too low to do it. We can do this!_

Shino was finally able to land an attack, stabbing Jugo in his side. Jugo punched Shino in the side of the head and launched his body back. Preoccupied with Shino and slowed by his injuries, Jugo wasn't fast enough to block Ibiki, who was able to stab him in his shoulder, inches from his heart.

And Yamato was able to stab Jugo in the back with a large kunai. Truly enraged and desperate, Jugo stretched out his wings and swung them around wildly as he screamed. The razor sharp talons on the wings slashed into Yamato and Ibiki, forcing them both back.

Again Jugo fell to one knee as he fought through the pain, his vision was becoming blurry and at the very edges of his vision, darkness was setting in. It was at that point he caught the hint of a light. He then looked up to see Naruto standing several yards away with a ball of glowing energy in his hand.

Jugo forced himself to his feet. He could feel the heat of his anger boiling in his head. As always, in this time, all he could think about was killing and causing pain. He wanted others to feel the same pain he felt when his own parents discarded him as a child; the pain of being spat upon and hunted as a monster. For years he did his best to never show his pain, to try to be happy when deep down he wasn't.

For years he forced the pain away, never acknowledged it and tried to ignore it. Until one day, as another mob set upon him to destroy him, he finally snapped. He doesn't remember what he did to them; he can never fully remember what happens when he loses control. All he remembers was waking up in a pool of their blood, surrounded by severed body parts and heads. It was on that day Jugo of the Scales was born and he forced to live his life in seclusion. From that day, he never again knew peace.

But as the enraged beast stared at the spinning ball of energy, he felt warmth coming from within it. There was a peacefulness he could see within the glowing torrent of wind and chakra. And as Jugo sprinted at Naruto and Naruto ran towards him, he could feel a sense of calm enveloping him. And just as he leapt at Naruto, ready to strike, he suddenly knew where he belonged.

"Rasengan," Naruto yelled as his attack slammed into Jugo's chest. Jugo screamed as the power caved his chest in and launched him back into a large boulder. Jugo's body crumpled to the floor and lay motionless.

Naruto stood as he watched Jugo as Shino limped up to him. Yamato was leaning on Ibiki as they came up as well. "You did it," Yamato said as he sighed in relief. "You beat him."

"No," Naruto said. "I didn't. He had me. He was fast enough to cut my head off with that axe. But at the last minute, he stopped." Naruto then looked at his hands and saw they were beginning to fade. _That's it_, he thought. _This clone body is out of chakra._ He then walked up to Jugo and saw he was still alive but his skin was no longer grey and his eyes no longer like an animal. He just looked like a normal man, with a peaceful smile on his face.

Jugo sat still, his body broken. He looked up to see Naruto standing there. "You have to stop him," Jugo said as a small bird flew and landed on his finger. Jugo smiled at it and then said, "His anger will see this entire world in darkness. You have to stop Sasuke. He's lost his way. There is no way back."

"Why didn't you stop him if you knew what he was doing was wrong," Naruto asked.

"I was too weak," Jugo said as blood poured from his mouth. "He was one of my only friends. It was a bond I never wanted to break. So I followed him. I….I went against what my heart told me because I wanted that bond. I….I know what you are to him. Don't make the same mistake I did."

Jugo watched the bird until it finally flew away and then he looked at Naruto and said, "Thank you." Jugo then closed his eyes and died.

Naruto then turned to the others and said, "You guys should get out of here. You're hurt and need medical attention." Naruto's clone then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Just then, one of Shino's few surviving bugs returned and landed on his hand. Shino looked at it for a moment before saying, "There is a large Akatsuki force headed this way. Thousands of them. They're about a mile back."

"Damn," Yamato said. "They were holding back the majority of their forces the entire time. We have to get down the hill and warn everyone to retreat and regroup. C'mon!"

Ibiki, Yamato and Shino then slowly made their way down the hill. They could see movement at the base and they were happy that there were at least some survivors.

As they continued their descent Yamato looked to the remaining launcher and stopped. "You two go on," he said. "I'll be right behind you."

"Are you sure," Ibiki responded.

Yamato nodded and walked away. A few minutes later he reached the base of the massive launcher. He could see a large streak of blood as if something was being dragged as he walked around he found Tsume sitting up against the launcher. Kuromaru was there sitting next to her as she scratched his head. She was pale and seemed very weak.

"Tsume," Yamato yelled as he ran up. "You're alive! Great! C'mon, I'll help you down to safety!"

Tsume laughed and opened her flak jacket revealing the large wound. Her entire chest was soaked in blood. "Sorry Tai-cho," she said. "My mission ends here."

"Tsume I can get you medical attention," he said desperately.

"It's too late and you know it," Tsume said with a smile. "But there is one thing I can do. I covered this thing here with enough explosives to level this entire hill. The least I can do is take some of those bastards with me."

"Tsume," Yamato said sadly.

"Ah don't look at me like that you dumbass," she said. "Just hurry up and go before the enemy gets here or else I'll have to blow you're ass up too. But you should go and get Sai first. He may still be alive." Yamato hesitated. "Didn't you hear me," Tsume said. She coughed several time. And with each cough blood spurt from her wound. "Get going!"

Yamato took a deep breath, nodded and turned away and began to walk. "Do me one favor," she said. "Tell my kids that I love them. And tell Hana….she leads the pack now."

Yamato looked back and said, "I will. Thank you Tsume-chan" He then turned and left.

Tsume scratched Kuromaru's head and said, "You should go too. You're wounds can be healed."

Kuromaru remained motionless. He looked up and said, "A Ninja Dog must remain with its companion through to the end Tsume-chan. What kind of companion would I be if I abandoned you now?"

Tsume laughed, causing her to cough more blood. "You really are a stupid dog Kuromaru." Tsume's smile faded and she said, "Thank you." Kuromaru didn't answer. Both Tsume and Kuromaru sat in silence for a long time until Tsume's eyes closed.

She wasn't sure how long she was asleep, she wasn't even sure if she was still alive, until she heard Kuromaru growl and bark. Tsume opened her eyes and saw she was surrounded by hundreds of Akatsuki ninja with hundreds, perhaps thousands more passing by, marching towards Konoha.

Kuromaru barked and lunged at the closest one. The ninja sidestepped the attack and drew a spear from his back and stabbed Kuromaru, pinning him down to the ground. Kuromaru yelped in pain and fell motionless, staring at Tsume.

Another ninja drew a sword and walked up to Tsume but was waived back by yet another ninja who walked up and kneeled next to her. "You are about to die," he said. "I don't think there is anything I can say to convince you to give us any information about your comrades huh?"

Tsume's gaze remained transfixed on Kuromaru who stared at her as he slowly died. "Go to hell," Tsume said.

The ninja laughed and said, "It won't matter either way. The power of Akatsuki is infinite. All of your comrades will die."

Tsume smiled at Kuromaru and then looked at the ninja. "Akatsuki will be destroyed because it's full of people like you. People who can't see the truth even when it's right in front of them."

"And what truth would that be," the man asked with a smirk. It was then the man noticed an explosive tag next to Tsume's head and then another and another. He then looked up to see that the entire launcher was covered in dozens of them.

Tsume smiled and said, "The Will of Fire can never be extinguished you son of a bitch."

The ninja tried to run but he and hundreds of his men were suddenly engulfed in light.

_******Meanwhile – Elsewhere******_

Hana was making her way through the forest with her three canine companions when they stopped and began to howl mournfully. Hana stood in silence as they howled and before she could question them she heard more howls coming from all parts of the woods. Every canine companion of the Inuzuka clan began to howl in mourning. At that point Hana knew, and bowed her head in silence.

While dozens of miles away, in the hospital in Konoha, Akamaru sat beside Kiba's bed. He sat up and began to howl which woke Kiba up. "Hmm, Akamaru," he said groggily. "What are you…?" Suddenly Kiba was silent as he heard the mournful howl. And in the distance he could hear other dogs howling as well.

Kiba looked down at his legs and placed his hand over his face to force back the tears that began to flow. But there was no point to it as he began to cry pitifully. He cried because he knew. He mourned as Akamaru now mourned.

The leader of the pack has fallen.

End of Chapter Twenty Five

Next Time: Destiny of the Hyuga

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_"Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of thier minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity..."_

_The Curse_...is coming.


	26. Destiny of the Hyuga

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to the end of Innocence. As always I begin by stating that I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

A special thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: xDARKNESS; The Flying Lion; dragonshaun9; ZeroTail29; DestroyerDRT; theshrewedshrew; Mudcake; FoxSage19; Night Shadow Strike; Kushina's Truth of Hell; Diamond Man; MyHikari; Sikai; charles cdv; hothead11; Monota Anthropina and Corruptchaos.

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**RESPONCES**

**xDARKNESS** - Glad you enjoyed it. i really wanted a chance to focus a bit and expand on Sai's character.

**The Flying Lion** - Thanx. And yes, if done right Sai can be very epic. Lol!

**dragonshaun9** - Gald you're enjoying the story. I'm trying my best to keep the drama and intensity high in this fight. It has proved quite challenging.

**ZeroTail29** - Thanx.

**DestroyerDRT** - Is she really? Wow.

**theshrewedshrew** - Hmmm...o well. I hope in time you'll come to see and appreciate the differences i've placed in my story though. Hope you keep reading.

**Mudcake** - Thanx.

**Foxsage19** - I'm glad you liked the prelude. i was really proud of that when I wrote it. it was like a last minute addition I thought of that would explain what i think childhood was like for Sai.

**Night Shadow Strike** - Short? that was was a long chapter in comparison to the usual length of my chapters. :(

**Kushina's** - I've grown to like the Character myself. I've been waiting to write about him for quite some time. Glad you liked the chapter.

**Diamond Man** - Yes, in war there are many hardships and tribulations one must face. I think that is an aspect that is lacking from Kishi's "war" right now that I wanted highlighted. Glad you appriciated what I was going for there.

**MyHikari** - Awww, don't cry. All things happen for a reason. Even death. And yeah i got the HP reference. I just wanted to give you a little HP poke. Lol! I love telling HP fans that I hate HP for some reason. Lol!

**Sikai **- Thanx. And the death ain't stopping any time soon.

**charles cdv **- Thanx.

**hothead11 **- Honestly, having to create and describe so many fighting scenes has been really tough. I've literally had to go back and re-watch different anime for inspiration and then I go to Naruwiki to review all the techniques that the characters use so i can figure out how to expand on the fights. A lot of research goes into it TBH. I'm honored that you think so highly of them. Let's just hope I can keep this up. Lol!

**Monota A.** - Hi! i always love new readers/reviewers! Longer? Hmm, I terms of word count this is a long chapter in comparison to my others. Oh well. I'm glad the emotion of the childs' death came across well as was Sai's fight and the emotion of Hana and Kiba losing thier mom. AND THANK YOU FOR MAKING YOUR REVIEW THE 400th! Lol!

**Corruptchaos** - Thanx.

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**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Ok, so here is chapter twenty six. **Please** enjoy and remember to post a **review** once your done. Thanx!

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter: XVI: Destiny of the Hyuga

Karin gasped as she stared out at the blue sky. Sasuke looked back and asked, "Well?"

"Jugo's chakra signal has faded," Karin said as she fought to hold back her tears. "He's…he's dead."

Sasuke faced forward, crossed his arms and closed his eyes as though he was in deep thought. "Hmm," was the only thing he said.

"Is that all you can say," Karin asked angrily. "I just told you they're dead and that's all you can say!"

"Enough Karin," Sasuke yelled angrily as he remained in his pose. Madara stared at Sasuke in silence for a moment before looking ahead.

Karin gritted her teeth as she stared and Sasuke before forcing herself to look away. _Damn it Sasuke_, she thought_. I know how you are. I know you better than anyone. I can't believe you didn't care for either of them. Not after all these years we've all spent together to further your cause. Could it be that you saw them as expendable? Is that how you see me? Even after all that's happened between us?_

Madara stared at Sasuke in silence for a moment then said, "Well, at the very least they were able to pull off the plan before they died. So their lives weren't for nothing. You should be proud Sasuke. You chose you're subordinates well. It appears they weren't as useless as I had assumed."

"Enough Madara," Sasuke said curtly. "Let us just focus on the task at hand. Kisame is marching the main force towards Konoha as we speak."

"Yes," Madara said smugly. "And with Konoha's forces in disarray this should prove the finishing stroke."

_******Meanwhile - Elsewhere******_

Two ninja closed in on Hinata. Both were armed with swords and swung simultaneously at her. Using a kunai in each hand she quickly blocked them both. She then began to spin at great speed and knocked both swords out of her attackers' hands.

Before they could react she struck them both with gentle fist in the chest causing both men to collapse. Two more moved in behind her when she heard a familiar voice. "Hinata-sama," the man yelled as he landed behind her and struck both Akatsuki ninja, knocking them both away.

"Ko-san," Hinata said. "Thank you for your help."

"Nonsense Hinata-sama," Ko responded. "I'd be forever shamed if something were to happen to you."

Eight more ninja converged on them, forcing Hinata and Ko to block their attacks and punch them. Hinata and Ko put their backs together and thrust out their arms to make a cross. A massive wall of chakra flowed from their palms and knocked away all of the Akatsuki ninja.

Hinata then looked across the valley and saw Hanabi who had been separated from the rest of the division and was holding off six Akatsuki alone. "Hanabi," Hinata yelled as she and Ko ran to help her sister.

Before she could get to Hanabi, dozens more Akatsuki ninja flooded out of the wooded area into the clearing and forced them back. "Hinata," Hanabi yelled as she struck down another assailant. "Go back! I'll meet up with you!"

"Come Hinata-sama," Ko yelled as he pulled Hinata by her arm. 'Your sister is right. We can't get to her now. We need to fall back and regroup with the others." Just then everyone was startled to see an object fall from the sky, landing in the center of the enemy force. The resulting explosion from the impact launched everyone nearby back slamming into each other and crashing to the ground. As the smoke cleared Hinata saw that it was the Naruto clone.

"Wind Release: Divine Wind," Naruto yelled as he created two gusts of wind that formed into two miniature tornadoes that blasted everyone away.

Hinata, Ko and Hanabi stared at Naruto in astonishment as Naruto glared at the female ninja, Ayuki who continued to summon more and more Akatsuki ninja. "Retreat isn't an option Ko," Naruto said. "That woman is using some type of summon to bring in more Akatsuki ninja. If we don't stop her this entire area will be over-run and we'll be facing Akatsuki on both sides. We need to take her out now. Are you with me?"

"Of course Naruto-kun," Hinata said as she ran up next to him.

"I'll help too," Hanabi said.

"Fine," Ko said as he readied himself.

"Alright then," Naruto said. "I'll take the lead with the three of you spread out behind me. Don't get caught up fighting the other lesser Akatsuki ninja, just keep running and use your Empty Wall Palm technique to clear away anyone ahead. Most of all, we don't stop until we get to her. Remember, she's the target."

"Right," said Hinata, Hanabi and Ko in unison as the followed Naruto as he sprinted across the field.

Ayuki looked up to see the four ninja sprinting towards her. Again she summoned more Akatsuki ninja who all ran to intercept Naruto and his group. All the ninja were armed with swords and kunai and screamed as they met in heated battle.

Naruto began using his wind style to release a vortex of wind from his open palms that blasted back everyone ahead. Meanwhile Hinata, Hanabi and Ko were combining their Empty Palm techniques to create massive surges of chakra that would knock any Akatsuki aside.

Ayuki was surprised to see the group knocking everyone away as they continued their way towards her. As she summoned another group of ninja she swiftly stuck a small summon tag on one of the ninja's back before he ran off to join the fight.

Naruto and the others continued to plow through their opposition until finally they were close to the female ninja. Ayuki stopped her summoning and drew two kitana swords from her back and stood ready to face her foes.

As the last of the Akatsuki ninja fell Naruto and Hanabi were the first to engage Ayuki. Ayuki swung her swords at Naruto, forcing him to stop and block her attacks. Hanabi made her way behind the ninja hoping to strike her in the back with a kunai. Ayuki seemed to move by instinct alone, turning and blocking Hanabi's kunai with one sword and using the other intent on stabbing her in the head.

The sword came an inch from Hanabi's eye when it suddenly stopped. Naruto had grabbed the woman's arm. "No you don't," Naruto said. "You've caused enough death today."

The woman moved with incredible speed, kicking Naruto in the stomach and forcing him to let go as his body flew back. _Damn_, Naruto thought as he instinctively grabbed his stomach. _She's as strong as she is fast. It was like I got hit by solid rock._

The woman quickly turned her attention back to Hanabi and tried to stab her again. Hanabi was able to dodge the strike and just then Hinata leapt in with two kunai. She began striking the weapons at Ayuki who began to dodge and block each attack.

Hanabi also entered the fray, forcing the woman to begin blocking and dodging the attacks of both sisters as she was continuously forced back. Realizing her disadvantage the woman stuck her foot out, catching Hanabi's feet and causing her to lose balance momentarily. That moment was all she needed as the woman quickly blocked Hinata's next strike and punched her in the face. And then knocked one of the kunai out of Hanabi's hand and sliced her in the stomach.

"Hanabi-chan," Hinata yelled as she ran to her sister as Hanabi fell to one knee. The woman raised her hand intent on finishing Hanabi off when she sensed someone above her. Ayuki looked up to see Naruto above her, his fist clenched intent on punching her with all his might. Ayuki leapt back and out of range as Naruto crashed down with a punch that cracked the ground under his feet. He immediately engaged Ayuki throwing punches and kicks that forced her back.

Meanwhile Hinata reached Hanabi who had her hand placed over the wound. "Are you ok sister?" Hanabi grimaced as she looked at the bit of blood trickling out. "Yes," Hanabi said. "I was able to turn enough to reduce the amount of damage. Plus the flak jacket helped as well." Hanabi got to her feet and took a deep breath. The pain was becoming tolerable as more time passed. "Come on sister," she said. "We need to help Naruto-kun."

Naruto meanwhile found himself in heated combat with this mysterious masked woman who seemed able to block or dodge every attack no matter how fast he moved. Naruto threw two punches, one to her head the next to her chest. The woman ducked under the first and sidestepped the next before swinging both of her blades straight across hoping to slice Naruto in half.

Naruto leapt back, allowing both swords to miss by only a few inches. He then threw another punch but the woman quickly recovered from her attack and placed both swords in front of her face like an "x" and blocked Naruto's attack.

Naruto countered by kicking out in an effort to sweep her legs out from under her but the woman leapt up in the air. It was then Ko appeared and yelled, "Got you!" Ko thrust his arm towards her and a blast of chakra shot from his open palm striking the woman squarely and launching her body into the air and back. But much to their surprise the woman recovered while in the air before back flipping and landing on her feet gracefully. She then stood straight up, both swords at her side and waited for them to attack.

"Impossible," Ko said. "I hit her with everything I had. And she's standing there like it didn't even faze her!"

"Calm down Ko," Naruto said. "We need to combine our efforts to take her down." Just then Hinata and Hanabi got there and they all looked at each other in silence before sprinting towards the woman.

Ayuki crouched into a ready stance and prepared herself for the assault. Ko and Hanabi removed small shuriken and threw them at her in advance of their arrival. Ayuki began to dodge the shuriken and knocked several of them away with her swords just as they closed in on her.

Naruto threw a punch at her head which she easily side stepped. She then kicked him in the ribs, knocking him away. Hanabi came from behind, while Hinata attacked from the front. Both of them were armed with a kunai but Ayuki quickly turned and blocked Hanabi's attack with one sword and Hinata's with another.

Using the opening both sisters provided Ko leapt in and struck Ayuki several times in the chest and arms with his Gentle Fist attack. _We may not be able to see her chakra pathway but I've studied the pathway so closely that I don't have to_, Ko thought.

Ayuki stumbled back and stood still with her head bowed as Hinata, Hanabi and Ko looked on. _Did Ko get her_, Hinata thought. _Did we shut down her chakra?_

Suddenly Ayuki raised her head and sprinted towards them again forcing them to defend themselves. Ayuki began swinging her swords with blinding speed and accuracy as she began to simultaneously fight all three of them together.

Hanabi, Hinata and Ko found themselves suddenly on the defensive, forced to block and dodge Ayuki's attacks as she moved with blinding speed. Ko tried punching her in the face but she instinctively ducked and sliced him across the chest and then the back.

Before she could follow up with a finishing move, Naruto arrived and tried to kick her in the face. The woman stepped back as the kick flew passed her face and then she stabbed Naruto in the leg, burying the sword to the hilt before pulling it free and kicking him away.

Hinata glared at the woman and then began to focus her chakra and said, "Chakra Needle Technique!" She then began to fire dozens upon dozens of needle shaped chakra blasts at the assassin forcing her on the defensive.

As she was pushed back Ayuki saw Ko run towards her and then use his Empty Palm technique and blast her back towards a waiting Hanabi who began to spin at an incredible speed while releasing a steady stream of chakra. Realizing the situation Ayuki quickly stabbed one of her swords into the ground and used it to slow herself and then once she was able to get her feet on the ground she back flipped up and over Hanabi, landing behind her.

Much to her surprise Ko and Hinata were waiting for her and tried to stab her. Ayuki buried one of her swords into the ground and quickly leapt up and landed on the hilt of the sword, perfectly balanced.

Hinata and Ko immediately began to fight her with their kunai as she used her sword to block and parry every attack while remaining balanced on the hilt of a sword. Just then she saw Naruto leaping towards her with a ball of glowing energy. "Rasengan," he yelled as he attacked but much to his surprise the woman disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Everyone looked around to see where she was. "There she is," Hanabi yelled as she pointed to the woman who was kneeling next to one of the fallen Akatsuki ninja several yards away. The woman looked down at the summoning scroll she had attached to the man's back prior to the fight. She had done so just in case she found herself overwhelmed.

"Ok, what do we do now" Ko asked as the all stared at the woman. Naruto looked to Ko and was about to speak when he heard a slight sizzling sound. When he looked around he noticed the sound was coming from a burning slip of paper wrapped around the hilt of the woman's' sword that was still buried in the ground.

"Everyone get down," Naruto yelled as the explosive tag went off knocking everyone away and causing his clone to disperse.

As the remnants of the explosion faded away the woman got to her feet and slowly walked towards her fallen enemies. She walked through the smoke like a lioness stalking her weakened prey. Hinata's head was wringing and there was a slight buzzing in her ears. There was a dull pain coming from her head and when she placed her hand there and removed it there was blood.

Hinata could hear the steady sound of the woman's foot steps as she walked up to her and as she looked up she could see her shadow and the light reflecting off her sword. Hinata tried to get up, every nerve in her body was screaming for her to move. But her muscles were like jelly, unable to follow the command. All she could manage was to push herself into a seated position as the assassin aimed her sword at her.

Just as the sword was thrust at her Hinata saw a shadow and then a body come in between her and certain death. Hinata sat in shock as she saw a bloody blade protruding from the chest of the person in front of her and as she looked up she saw hat it was Ko, smiling at her with blood trickling from the side of his mouth.

"Ko-san," she yelled.

"Lady Hinata...you…..must…..run," he said. Ayuki withdrew the sword from Ko's back and he fell limply into Hinata's lap. Again the assassin raised her sword to kill Hinata only for someone to pause at the sound of someone yelling.

Hinata looked past Ayuki and saw her father running towards them. "Hinata, Hanabi, are you ok," he asked as he ran.

Ayuki stepped out into an open space as she prepared for the fight. Hiashi attacked the woman with a ferocity that took her off balance. He began to strike her all over her body with his gentle fist while expertly dodging every swing of her sword. "I don't know why I can't see your chakra network," Hiashi yelled. "But I bet if I hit you everywhere you'll eventually shut down!"

Unable to withstand the onslaught of Hiashi's attacks, Ayumi suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke only to re-appear near the fallen Akatsuki ninja. "What," Hiashi asked as he looked around.

"Father," Hinata said. "She uses scrolls to perform reverse summonings. Be careful."

Hiashi then turned and looked at the woman. "Right," Hiashi said as he sprinted towards her again. This time he removed several smoke bombs and threw them at her feet obscuring her vision. Once he was close enough he used his Empty Palm technique that violently pushed her airborne and crashing to the ground.

The assassin slowly got to her feet and this time, instead of waiting sprinted at Hiashi who waited until the last minute and then spun quickly and used the Heavenly Spin technique to knock her back down.

Ayumi's vision was blurry as she saw Hiashi standing over her. "How dare you bring harm to my children," Hiashi said angrily. He then used the Empty Palm technique again, slamming the woman into the ground. Then he did it again and again. Each time she was struck her body was crushed into the ground until a small crater was created under her.

Hiashi finally stopped and glared down at the woman who seemed to be barely breathing before she suddenly grasped her sword and swung it at Hiashi forcing him back. She quickly flipped forward and onto her feet, but fell to one knee and clutched her chest. She was clearly hurting. Hiashi moved in to finish her when she quickly threw down a smoke bomb and leapt back.

Hiashi quickly used Heavenly Spin to clear away the smoke and when he stopped he saw the woman waiting. Hiashi was a bit surprised that she didn't take that moment to run but instead sprinted right at him.

Finally the affects of being too close to the explosion was fading for Hinata. She looked down at Ko's closed eyes and stroked his cheek. He had been her guardian for as long as she could remember and she could remember all the times he had stated that it was his duty to protect her. That he would give his life to save hers. Never had she truly considered that a possibility. Yet here he was. His life sacrificed for hers. She gently placed his him down on the ground and got up.

Hinata then looked to Hanabi who was also getting to her feet. Both girls looked on as the woman sprinted at their father who waited until the last minute and then used Heavenly Spin, intent on knocking her away. But to their surprise the woman, inches from coming into contact with Hiashi's technique, disappeared. And then a bright light appeared from within Hiashi's technique and much to their horror, Hiashi's technique suddenly stopped and the woman had her sword buried hilt deep into him.

"Father," Hinata and Hanabi yelled as they ran towards them.

Hiashi could feel the cold steel as it pieced all the way through his body. He could feel an instant wave of cold wash over his body and a numbness. _How did she get through my technique_, he wondered to himself as he felt all vitality begin to drain from his body. It was as though he was aging instantaneously and he would soon become dust.

Through blurry vision Hiashi looked down and it was then he received an answer to his question which made him gasp in astonishment. He saw one of the woman's small summon tags stuck to the ground next to his foot. _The smoke bomb_, Hiashi realized. _She didn't just use it to escape. She must have placed it there knowing I'd use that technique. Then she just summoned herself inside the shield._

Hiashi groaned and summoned all the strength he had in his rapidly weakening body and pushed the woman back, forcing her to pull the sword out. Hiashi stumbled back, almost losing his footing, but much to the assassins' surprise, he remained on his feet and though he was gasping for air and coughing up blood he still glared defiantly at the woman.

Just then both his daughters reached him and Hinata instantly stood between the woman and her father with a kunai at the ready. Hanabi grabbed her father to help him to the ground. "No," he yelled. "I can still beat her! I can't give up now! You two girls run! Leave us and find help!"

"Father you can't fight anymore," Hanabi said. "We should run and find assistance!"

Hinata stared at the woman who, despite her own visible injuries, appeared still willing to fight. Staring at this woman, who had no indiscernible features, no personality. She didn't appear to enjoy or hate what she was doing. Her eyes were dead, soulless with neither light nor darkness. At that time Hinata felt a chill travel down her spine as she looked into this new face of evil where within there was only….indifference.

No longer able to stand under his own power Hiashi was helped down by Hanabi. "Hinata," he said. "You….can't defeat her….you're not strong enough. Take your sister…..run…."

"You've always looked down on me father," Hinata replied without ever taking her eyes off of the woman. "You wrote me off as too weak long ago. But I don't blame you for that father. You're life must have been hard having to be responsible for an entire clan. And I know you were hard on me because you wanted me to be strong enough to lead like you. And I disappointed you, because I wasn't like you father. And I now come to accept that I never will be. I have to walk my own path. And right now my path leads here. Let me show you father…..my strength."

Hiashi and Hanabi looked on as both Hinata's hands became covered in a shroud of chakra that took the shape of large lion heads. The power emanating from them began to flare wildly. _Hinata_, Hanabi thought. _I've never seen so much chakra coming from your Twin Lions Technique. You must be giving it your all._

Hinata spinted at the woman who crouched and raised her sword in preparation for the attack. Hinata engaged the woman, throwing a punch which she sidestepped. The woman swung the sword down and Hinata ducked and countered with another punch that was sidestepped.

Hanabi and Hiashi watched the two women continue their fight that looked more like a graceful dance instead of the fight to the death that it was. Hiashi marveled at his daughter as she expertly danced about, dodging, countering and blocking every move. He could see that both fighters were working furiously to fight through the defenses of the other, knowing that whoever landed the first hit would likely win.

As the fight continued Hinata realized she wasn't getting anywhere this way. _No matter what I do she keeps dodging,_ she thought. _I've never seen anyone who can react as fast as she does._ It was then she made a decision. The woman dodged another of Hinata's punches and then thrust her sword forward and this time her attack landed, piercing into Hinata's left shoulder. "Hinata," Hanabi yelled as she started to get to her feet.

Ayumi began to push the sword further in hoping to sever the muscles and tendons in Hinata's arm. It was then, to her surprise she saw Hinata smile. Hinata then punched the side of the sword with her Twin Lions punch and shattered the blade and before even Ayumi could react Hinata punched her three times in the ribs and stomach and Ayumi was thrown back by the force of the blows. Her body crashed to the floor and tumbled back violently like a discarded rag doll before skidding to a stop.

"Hinata," Hanabi said as she started to move to her only for Hinata to raise her left arm and signal her to stop. Hinata then grasped the piece of the blade that was still embedded in her shoulder and slowly pulled it free. Once out she began to gasp and fought to manage the pain.

_It's finished_, Hinata thought. But unfortunately she was wrong as she heard movement ahead and was the woman slowly getting to her feet. She was clutching her chest with her right arm while her left fell limply at her side. He was breathing hard and seemed barely able to stand. But instead of running, she instead began limping towards Hinata.

It was then Hinata saw the women flick her left hand and a small knife popped out of her wrist guard. "Hinata," Hanabi yelled as she got to her feet. But again Hinata waved her off.

Hinata took a deep breath and closed her eyes. _Neji-kun_, she thought. _I know you only taught me this technique after I begged and pleaded. And you made me swear never to use it. But…..I have no choice._

As Aymui limped ever closer, Hinata made several hand signs and suddenly opened her eyes which were now completely black as coal. She then said, "Byakugan Secret Technique: Ame-no-Uzume!"

Aymui found herself unable to move and the entire landscape seemed to fade away. She couldn't see Hinata or her other targets. There were no longer any trees, land or sky. Everything was white, pure and serene. Everything was so perfect, that it began to overwhelm her. And then the pain began. A pain so excruciating it seemed to last an eternity.

Hiashi stared, dumbfounded through his ever darkening vision. "T-that's Ame-no-Uzume," he stuttered. "Where did she learn that?"

"Neji taught her," Hanabi answered. "This is the fruit of their resolve. To break free of the bonds that oppresses our clan."

Ayumi felt like her entire body was on fire. Her vision and hearing had improved to the point where all light and sound hurt painfully. She knew she was done. There was only one thing left to do. She must do what she had been taught since an early age. Summoning all her strength she willed her left arm to move and stabbed herself in the heart with her knife.

Hinata saw this and stopped her technique as the woman's corpse crumpled to the ground. Hinata immediately clasped her hand over her eyes. There was a small bit of blood leaking from both her eyes. But though her vision was blurry she hadn't kept the technique going long enough for her vision to go completely.

Hinata slowly got to her feet and stumbled over to her sister who was leaning over Hiashi. Hinata dropped to her knees and said, "Come on. We need to get father to a medic." Hanabi looked up at Hinata and she could see that Hanabi was crying. Hinata then looked down at her father, his eyes were closed and it seemed as if he were merely resting. "Hanabi," she said nervously.

"I…I'm sorry Hinata," Hanabi said as she fought back tears.

"No….father," Hinata yelled. "Father! Father!" Hinata grabbed her fathers' shoulders and shook him as she yelled and cried. She tried to activate her Byakugan to see if he had even the slightest bit of chakra left but when she tried she felt a spasm of pain in her eyes. Her Byakugan would not activate.

"He…was stabbed cleanly in the lung," Hanabi said. "The entire time he was watching you….he was drowning in his own blood. But he refused to let me take him away. He…..he said he wanted to see you."

_******A few minutes earlier******_

"_Father, please let me take you to the medical unit," Hanabi said as she attempted to lift Hiashi up. "You need medical attention immediately!"_

_Hiashi remained silent as he tugged away from Hanabi and remained seated on the ground. The medical unit was a half mile away and he already knew he wouldn't make the journey. And if these were going to be his last moments he would rather spend them watching something he thought he may never get to see._

_From the time Hinata was a small child he had always been hard on her. After all she, by succession of birth, was to one day lead the Hyuga Clan. So she had to be taught and prepared for that responsibility. _

_But Hinata, even at an early age seemed to lack something that all natural born leaders have. That never became more evident than after her little sister Hanabi was born. Despite being nearly nine years younger Hanabi was more skilled than her older sister. _

_But that wasn't the reason Hiashi chose to strip Hinata of her right of succession. It wasn't the reason he was always harder on her than Hanabi. The real reason was because Hinata…..was so much like him._

_When he was young, he lacked the same quality that a clan leader must have. Hizashi was the outgoing one. He was the gifted brother. He was the one better suited for leadership. And they both knew it. Their father was harder on Hiashi than Hizashi and it wasn't until they were much older when he was told why. It was on the day when he made leader that his father told him, "To lead a clan is much like a shepherd leading a flock of sheep. A good shepherd must be gentle and kind as you are naturally. But he must also have the resolve to be heartless when the wolves come."_

_And so that is what Hiashi set out to do with Hinata. Yet every way he tried failed. Even sending her away, as hard as that was, to live and train under Kurenai didn't work. In the end he began to believe she truly would never gain what she lacked. Until her first attempt at the Chunin exams that is. _

_Hiashi never knew what truly happened during the competition outside the fact that she had lost to Neji. But something had changed within his daughter. She had grown stronger in spirit if not in ability. She had not yet gained what she lacked but at least now she was on the path to it. And so he welcomed her back and though he was still as hard on her as ever at least now he could see his labor bearing fruit._

_And now, watching her single handedly take on this assassin, he could see that he was right about her, and wrong. Hinata was strong, just not in the way he would have wanted. And watching her now he knew that she indeed had achieved what she lacked. Her skill and technique had grown by leaps and bounds. And she fought her enemy not with hate, anger or savagery, but with resolve. _

_She now had the resolve to do what was necessary. To make the tough decisions. The wolves had come and she was truly now acting as the shepherd._

_Just then he saw the woman stab Hinata in her shoulder and Hanabi was preparing to go to her when he pulled her back. "Father," Hanabi yelled. "She needs help! I have to…."_

"_No," Hiashi said. "There is no need. Hinata will win. She is strong. I can see that now. I was wrong about her Hanabi. You need to let her know that I realized it at the end. And tell her that I have faith that she has the strength to lead."_

_Hanabi looked at her father with a bit of shock and said, "Does that mean you have chosen her?"_

_Hiashi nodded and said, "Yes. She's ready. And you….you must support her. Be by her side. I know she will have the strength to change the Hyuga for the better. To make the changes I was too weak to make myself. I…have faith in you both."_

_******Now******_

"Those were his words," Hanabi said as she stroked her fathers' hair and looked at her older sister.

Hinata stared at her father solemnly for a while and said, "But….I don't know…what should I do?"

It was then they heard someone else say, "That decision is up to you Hinata-sama." The girls looked up to see themselves surrounded by dozens of Hyuga. Apparently they were able to defeat all the men the female assassin had summoned. One Hyuga stepped forward and said, "You must now decide your path, as well as the path of this clan."

Ao walked through the group and up to the two girls. Seeing Hiashi dead Ao took a moment before speaking up. "We just received communication from Hokage Danzo," he said. "Akatsuki has launched their main offensive and we've been ordered to fall back to the main defensive walls."

"Right," Hinata said blankly. "We….we should fall back then. Let's gather all of the bodies and…."

"We don't have time for that," Ao replied. "We have many injured as it is. Carrying the bodies would slow us down too much. We could end up being over-run by the enemy."

"Those bodies consist mostly of the Hyuga clan," one Hyuga member said defiantly. "You may have been placed in charge of this division but Hinata-sama is in charge of our clan."

"Hinata-sama, what are your orders," another Hyuga member asked.

Hinata was in deep thought as she stared at her fathers' face. _What would you do father_, she thought. It was then she realized she couldn't be her father. She had to do what she thought was best.

Hinata struggled to stand. The wounds she had sustained where hurting now more than ever. One member of the clan quickly moved to help her to her feet. Her eye sight was fading in and out and the she was weakening from the blood loss from the wound in her shoulder. "I will not leave the bodies of my clan here like discarded garbage," she said. "We will take them back with us. As many of them as we can."

"Yes," several ninja said as they saluted and they immediately got to work.

Ao nodded in agreement and said, "Alright. I'll help get everyone moving as fast as possible. But you and your sister should go now and get your wounds tended to." Ao then turned and left leaving the girls behind.

As Hinata was led away she looked to her sister who smiled at her. Hinata then looked to her fathers' body which was being carried beside her. _Father_, she thought. _I will make sure the destiny of the Hyuga is a bright one. This I swear._

_******Meanwhile – Konoha- Rooftop of the Office of the Hokage******_

Naruto's eyes slowly opened and he took a long, almost mournful, breath. "So much death," he whispered. "This just isn't right." He then looked up at the sky and shaded his eyes from the sun. He could start to see the outline of the moon which was now moving towards the sun. Only a few hours left before the eclipse began.

Naruto then looked down as if in deep thought before getting to his feet. Behind him stood Ino who appeared to be on edge. "Well," she asked.

"Hinata and her sister are alive," Naruto said. "It seems they were able to defeat that assassin on their own." Ino sighed in relief of the good news. "But their father," Naruto continued. "I can't sense his chakra."

"Oh no," Ino responded sadly.

"The last of my clones was destroyed," Naruto said as he walked passed her and the three ANBU guards tasked to watch over him.

"So what will you do now," Ino asked. "Are you going out there yourself?"

"Naruto-kun has been expressly forbidden to leave the village by order of the Hokage," one of the ANBU ninja said.

"No," Naruto answered. "Not yet anyway. I need to stay here until it happens. But right now I need to speak to Danzo."

"Until it happens," Ino asked. "Until what happens?"

"Until it gets worse Ino," he said. "Until things gets much worse."

As Naruto pulled on the door that would take him downstairs Ino said, "So many of us have died already Naruto. How much worse can it get?"

Naruto paused and looked sadly at Ino in silence. He looked up at the moon which was slowly making its way to its position in front of the sun. It was like a timer, ticking down to the end of the world. Without saying a word Naruto went through the door and down the stairway with his guards in tow.

He wanted to answer Ino but he knew there was no point in telling her something that would only make her more scared than she already was. He needed Ino to remain calm enough to do what he'll need her to do soon. But he knew, despite all that had happened that this was only the beginning. Akatsuki's true might, has yet to be shown.

End of Chapter Twenty Six

Next Time: On the Head of a Pin


	27. On the Head of a Pin

_INTRODUCTION_

Welcome back to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As alwoays i begin by stating I do not own Naruto.

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_THANK YOU_

A special thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Kushina's Truth of Hell; Corruptchaos; Diamond Man; MyHikari; ZeroTail29; airnaruto45; Hothead11; charles cdv; tdwtfan1899; Silver Senpai; xDARKNESS; Sikai; The Flying Lion; Sasuke K.

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_RESPONCES_

**Kushina's** - Ok, now I need to know what line it was. :( Was it because it was ovrly cheesy?

**Corruptchaos** - Naruto will make his move in due time.

**Diamond Man** - I'm glad you enjoyed the fight. I had alot of fun finnally giving Hinata her chance to shine. If only Kishi does the same one day. And yes, Naruto does know more than he has revealed. And I think when you find out it will be an amazing revelation.

**MyHikari **- Lol! No I'm not going to kill off everyone from the older generation. But don't be so sure i won;t kill off any more of the K11 either. Glad i was able to keep the suspense high for you. GaaraxHina huh? Hmmm, I actually have a crack pairing I plan to introduce later that you guys might find interesting.

**ZeroTail29** - No worries. So long as you reviewed the chapter. :) Glad you enjoyed it.

**airnaruto45** - You'll see.

**hothead11** - Yes, i can garantee one thing: Things are still going to get worse. Lol!

**charles cdv** - Thanx

**tdwtfan1899** - Yep, i wanted to show how strong Hinta had become and how dedicated she truely was. As for what happened to Sai and Neji, please stay tuned.

**Silver Senpai** - Lol! thanx. Glad to know you're still reading.

**xDARKNESS** - Thanx. And yes, more will die.

**Sikai **- Yes...yes there is.

**The Flying Lion** - lol! Thanx.

**Sasuke K** - Who indeed...LMAO!

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_MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR_

Ok, so I want to apologize for missing last week. After re-reading some of my unreleased chapters I didn't like the quality so I had to decide: Either release a chapter I wasn't happy with or miss a week while I re-wrote my chapters. So I hope the changes I made go over well. That said **please** feel free to **review** my chapter once finished.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XVII: On the Head of a Pin

The man strode confidently through the courtyard located in the north west of Konoha on his way to his destination. He was dressed in the normal uniform of an ANBU ninja, complete with a black cloak and a porcelain mask.

All around him Konoha medics, ninja and authorized personnel hustled and bustled about as they worked feverishly in helping with the war effort. Seeing the nervous and even down right scared looks on the people brought a smile to the man's face.

He didn't want to admit it but that bastard Madara wasn't as big a dumbass as he wanted to believe. Even though the war was less than a day old Konoha had already suffered massive losses. And more and more injured were being brought in all the time. At this rate, Konoha would be nothing but a pile of smoldering ash by this time tomorrow.

The man continued in a steady, almost relaxed pace towards his destination without the slightest fear of being caught. And why should he? He had walked these streets for the past year and half without once being stopped or questioned. Outside a few high ranking Konoha officials no one had the nerve to question the comings and goings of an ANBU ninja. And thanks to the efforts of his master even those who questioned him found nothing that raised any alarms.

So for over a year he was able to achieve an unprecedented level of access to Konoha and learned more about the people and their secrets than he could ever dream. He had even been indoctrinated into ROOT, which was his ultimate goal. And his disguise was even complete enough to fool Danzo, so long as he kept his exposure to the man at a minimum.

The man walked passed the Konoha Hospital where it seemed like organized chaos all around. There were so many injured that they were putting together makeshift cots outside so they could be treated. A young girl, was standing shouting orders and directing the medics. Her name was Meogi the man thought. She was a junior apprentice of Tsunade.

The man continued to walk passed the hospital as the din died away behind him. He continued his way into a small park that was now desolate. After veering off of the main path he continued down a small dirt road, barely the width of one person, before sharply turning off the path and into a heavy thicket of bushes.

The path the ninja was now taking was one that could not be seen or noticed even by experienced ninja. It was a path taught to him after he became a member of ROOT and was such that you could only take by memory alone. Finally he arrived at a small, nondescript outgrowth of trees and bushes. One of the trees had a small hollow hole in the middle of the trunk, barely big enough for a fist and the man stuck his hand inside until he felt the small wooden lever. He pulled it and the bushes and trees slid apart revealing a narrow staircase.

The man quickly walked in knowing he had seven seconds to reach the first landing before the hidden entrance closed. If he didn't reach there by then the hidden traps would activate and though he didn't fear death it would prove troublesome if the ninja below were alarmed to his presence before he reached his target.

The man reached the landing with a second to spare and then continued down the darkened hallway. There was no light and there were random pitfalls on each side. Again, this was another test. Members were taught to walk this path by memory alone, so that they needed no light. Outsiders would likely fall victim to one of the many pitfalls and if they tried to use any light source to see they would set off the alarms.

Once he reached the bottom he came face to face with a large boulder. On the right side, just out of view, was a hole carved into it. Inside the hollow space was a "Forbidden Tag." The man placed his hand in the hole and on the tag and said the organization's creed. Any mistake, even down to the very tempo of which it's said, would cause the tag to explode. "We are the Foundation of Konoha," he said. "We are emotionless, our eyes closed to sunlight and distinguished in the shadows. As the leaves bathe in light so too must we remain in the darkness."

With the creed completed the door rolled to the side revealing a door into a large cavernous room. The ninja walked in and was now in the headquarters of ROOT. Wasting little time the ninja walked across the room towards one of the many hallways and continued down the path. Several times he passed other ROOT ninja who continued in silence. This wasn't a place to find small talk which served his purposes nicely.

Finally he reached the door he was looking for. There was a sign on it that said "AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY" and he walked by quickly just in case anyone was watching. As he passed the door the man removed one of his gloves and dropped a small clay spider, about the size of a fingernail onto the floor.

The spider quickly crawled up the door and latched itself on the lock and then exploded with a quick flash of light and very little sound. The man walked back to the door and saw that the lock was now destroyed. In one swift movement he opened the door just enough to slide in and closed it behind him.

When he turned he now found himself in a dingy hallway. The place stank of rotting flesh and feces and there were all types of vermin, bugs and snakes skittering about. But none of this bothered him in the slightest. Nothing ever bothers him anymore. It was the distinct lack of fear that, above all else, reminded him of his lack of humanity.

Eventually he reached a corner and quickly looked around to see three guards standing by a door. The man dipped his hand into a pouch and then placed his hand on the ground. This time three spiders, each the size of his palm, appeared from his hand and quickly climbed up the wall and unto the ceiling.

They quickly crawled over and each spider positioned itself over one of the guards and then simultaneously lowered themselves down until they were each hanging right behind their heads. By the time the first guard realized what was happening it was too late. Each explosion left a headless corpse in a blood soaked heap.

"Excuse me," the ninja said mockingly as he stepped over the bodies and inspected the door. "Hmmm, well this should be simple enough." The man then looked down and saw a ring of keys attached to the waist of one of the headless corpses and took it from him. After trying several keys he found the one that worked and opened the door.

_******Meanwhile******_

Kabumaru remained shackled by his arms on the opposite side of the wall. As usual he found himself enveloped in darkness with not a single source of light. When the door opened he wondered if the person entering was here to beat him, feed him or taunt him like he was some caged zoo animal.

The masked man before him stared at him for a moment. But as he removed his mask Kabumaru smiled. "It's about time you got here Deidara," Kabumaru said. "I sent a message to you days ago."

"Actually it was only two days ago," Deidara said as he smiled at Kabumaru. Kabumaru may be the one responsible for brining him back, but that didn't change the fact that he despised this man. And seeing him in this condition brought him great pleasure. "But I guess it's hard to keep track of time in this place, mmmm."

Kabumaru gave a pained smile and said, "I guess so. Never the less, I believe you took your time getting here. That's what I get for allowing you to have complete free will."

Deidara crossed the room and began to unlock the shackles. The minute he touched them he knew they were not made of normal metal and where constantly draining Kabumaru of chakra. "If you didn't there would be no way for me to play my part."

As Deidara unlocked the last shackle Kabumaru rubbed his wrists. It had been weeks since he'd last had them off. "Speaking of which," he said. "Were you able to get all of his notes regarding the treasure?"

"Of course," Deidara said as he offered his shoulder for Kabumaru to lean on. Kabumaru was weak, emaciated and lacked the power to moved under his own strength. "Although I can't seem to understand any of it, mmmm"

Kabumaru laughed. "No one can," he said. "But given time I will. And once I do the Legacy of the Namizake will be mine."

"Alright then," Deidara said. "Let's get the hell out of here."

"Right but not too far," Kabumaru said. "There is still one thing I must retrieve." As they left the cell Kabumaru saw the three headless bodies sprawled out on the floor. "Wait Deidara," he said as he stepped away. He held his stomach and looked at the bodies. It had been weeks since he'd eaten anything. "I think we at least have time for a little snack." Kabumaru's mouth began to open and his jaw seemed to unhinge itself like a snake, revealing fangs and a long snake like tongue, before he bent down next to one of the bodies.

Even Deidara winced and looked away at the sight and sounds of his master consuming his meal.

_******Meanwhile – The Office of the Hokage******_

The double doors to the great meeting hall slammed open causing everyone in the room to turn and look. Based on the size of the room it had been chosen as the primary location for Konoha's base of operations. As such all of the elders, including Tsunade and Danzo were there.

Danzo was sitting in a large oak chair in front of a table covered with maps of the Land of Fire. Others were scattered about as they poured over information themselves while other ninja acted as messengers, coming in and out of the room with updates of the military situation. On one side there was a large machine with wired helmets protruding from it. Several ninja were wearing the helmets. This division was responsible to relay instructions and updates too and from ninja on the field.

Everyone turned to see Naruto standing at the entrance to the room. Naruto strode into the room like he ran the place, which seemed to annoy Danzo and Homura, which Naruto noticed. "Well, well," Homura said. "So good of you to grace us with your presence Naruto. Did you enjoy getting your tan while the rest of us fight a war for your protection?"

Naruto clenched his fist and gritted his teeth a little. After what he'd experienced today he was in no mood for Homura's attitude. He had visions of throwing the man through the nearest window.

"Enough," Tsunade said as she got in between the two. "Naruto, have you been able to sense Madara or Sasuke?"

"No," he said. "I haven't sensed them at all. Not even briefly."

"Which means your confidence in your abilities was sorely overblown," Danzo said. "I told you that you wouldn't be able to sense them. Madara is quite aware of your abilities. He no doubt created a method to hide his chakra."

"No," Naruto said as he tried to remember everything his clones and seen and heard. "It's not that. Neither Madara or Sasuke have been spotted on the battlefield at all. I don't think their shielding themselves from me. It's more like they're staying out of range." _And so is Kisame_, Naruto thought.

"So what now," Koharu asked. "Akatsuki has already overrun our perimeter forces and have pushed as back within a matter of hours. And we're now receiving reports that their main forces are moving in position for an all out offensive of our secondary defenses. If those fall Konoha will be destroyed."

"At this point this war could be over by nightfall," Homura said.

Just then Inoichi came from the group of sensors and addressed the room. "My apologies," he said. "But we've just received word from Shikaku. All of Konoha's remaining forces successfully retreated to the secondary defenses. However Akatsuki has wasted little time and they have already launched assaults against our Eastern and Western defenses."

"They're trying to spread our forces thin by attacking on opposite sides," Tsunade said. "We should get as many men to each side to force them back as quickly as possible."

"No," Danzo said. "That's what Madara would like us to do. We do that and he'll then send the largest force to our Northern side. We'll be too weakened to stop them and he'll break right through. Send no extra forces. Inform Shikaku that they are on their own and must repel the enemy."

"What," Naruto yelled. "But that's insane. Those men are already weakened as it is. There's no way they can hold by themselves! You're condemning them to death!"

"I'm expecting them to do what is expected of all Konoha ninja," Danzo yelled. "They can and must defeat their enemy! You see Naruto, this is what is asked of a leader. I am Hokage because I make the hard decisions for the betterment of the village."

"Bullshit," Naruto yelled as walked towards Danzo. Tsunade grabbed his arm to hold him back. "You make decisions to cover your own ass! Just like now! Instead of sending more men to help out you're just afraid that there may not be enough to protect you. You use the love of Konoha to hide your own cowardice! That's why you were never chosen to be Hokage over the Third. And that's why you joined Akatsuki!"

The entire room became so silent you could hear a pin drop. Danzo rose from his seat and yelled, "How dare you make such a ridiculous accusation!"

"Naruto," Tsunade whispered nervously as she tried in vain to pull him away. "This is not the time…."

"It's true," Naruto yelled as he ignored Tsunade. "You worked with Madara to set me up and start this war. And you set up Sakura-chan to be killed! Who knows what else you've did for that bastard!"

Danzo glared at him and then said, "And I assume you have proof of this?" Naruto remained silent. "As I thought."

"Such insolence," Homura yelled angrily. "How dare you accuse a Hokage of such a crime and have no proof! To do such a thing is punishable by imprisonment! Tsunade you should have taught him better respect!"

"No Homura," Danzo said smugly as he waved Homura off. "Clearly the pressures of war have gotten to the boy. We should not punish him for his childishness."

Naruto stared at the ground as if too ashamed to look anyone in the eye. His fists were clenched tightly and it took all his will power to control his rage. Finally, through gritted teeth he asked, "Danzo, do you promise that you're doing everything to protect Konoha?"

Danzo turned and regarded Naruto cautiously. "Of course," he said. "Every possible resource is for that purpose."

"Then why is it you have not dispatched your ROOT ninja," Naruto asked.

Danzo face showed no sense of surprise at the question. "ROOT is also out on the battlefield."

Naruto glared at Danzo and said, "No. They are not. I use Senjutsu Danzo, remember. I can sense dozens upon dozens of powerful chakra signatures underneath Konoha. Those are your ROOT. Our people are dying out there and you're keeping your ROOT from fighting. Why?"

"My reasons are my own," Danzo said defiantly. "I don't have to answer to you."

"But you do have to answer to us," Homura said as he walked towards Danzo. Danzo looked around the room to see every person staring at him with a distrusting gaze. Even Homura and Koharu, his staunchest allies, regarded him now with suspicion.

"Danzo is this true," Koharu asked.

Danzo looked around the room at everyone. Realizing that he could not deny it he thought quickly. "Yes," he said. "It is true. My entire ROOT force was instructed to remain in the village. But that is only to be a last line of defense for Naruto."

"For Naruto….or yourself," Tsunade asked. "This is just like what happened three years ago after Pain's attack when your men were suspiciously unharmed and strong enough to help you in your little coup."

"What is the meaning of this Danzo," Homura said. "Your ROOT ninja are powerful and would be of more use in the field and you know this. Why would you hold them here?"

Danzo suddenly found himself on his heels fielding a barrage of questions of his motives. Fools, he thought. Don't you realize I am the only chance this village has? Yet you are actually turning on me! He glanced beyond Tsunade and the other elders to see Naruto leaning against the far wall with a smug look smile on his face. Without a word he gave a mock salute and left the room.

Naruto walked down the hallway quickly. He needed to get back to the roof and continue his surveillance. In his mind he could hear the Nine Tails laugh. _"What is it," Naruto said. _

"_I just find it amusing that you found such pleasure in what you just did," The Nine Tails responded. "You might not have done it the way I would have but you have still brought chaos to that room of elders boy."_

"_Danzo deserved it," Naruto responded. "When I sensed all those chakra signals underground I knew that was ROOT. I wasn't about to let Danzo do what he did three years ago again."_

As Naruto rounded a corner he heard someone call his name. When he turned he saw Kiba walking towards him. His fists were clenched and he was scowling. "Kiba," Naruto said. "What do you w…"

Before he could finish his sentence Kiba walked up to him and punched him in the face pitching Naruto back and down to the ground. Naruto rubbed his cheek. He wasn't hurt, but just surprised by the sudden assault. "What the hell was that for!"

"Why the fuck are you here and not out there fighting," Kiba yelled. "You have all this power! All this ability and you've done nothing!"

"Oh," Naruto said as he got to his feet. "So that's it."

"Our comrades are dying and all you're doing is sitting around," Kiba yelled.

"This isn't about that," Naruto said. "This is about your mother. I sensed her chakra fade. I'm sorry."

Kiba fought back the tears as he looked at Naruto angrily. Then he said, "Sorry? You're sorry? My mother is dead! And if you were out there…..you….you could have saved her."

"Maybe," Naruto said. "But so could you. If you were out there maybe she'd still be alive. Or maybe you'd both be dead. You're mad at me for failing her when the truth is you're mad at yourself. Because when your mother needed you most you were in bed."

Kiba yelled and threw a punch at Naruto's face. But Naruto caught it easily and grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall. "Your mother gave her life so that the people she loved would live," Naruto said. "It is the strongest sacrifice anyone can make. Instead of crying over her memory you should be honoring it!"

Naruto paused when he heard the Nine Tails speak up. _"Naruto stop wasting time with this foolish human," it said. "We are running out of time. We need to get back to the roof to finish harnessing that damned Senjutsu."_

"_Right," Naruto responded as he let Kiba go._

Naruto began to walk away leaving Kiba behind when Kiba said, "I heard that speech of yours this morning. What a load of garbage. Hope? Is that supposed to be our great weapon?"

Naruto stopped for a moment and took a deep measured breath. "I can't do this right now," he whispered almost to himself and he began to walk away.

Kiba quickly followed until he was walking right behind him. "How much good is hope doing for us right now," he asked. He could see Naruto tensing up but he didn't care. "We're fighting against the single largest army the world has ever seen. And who do we have? A bunch of merchants, farmers, old men and children!"

Naruto was gritting his teeth and could feel his entire body on edge. Every word out of Kiba;s mouth was like a hot needle in the brain. But he continued to walk away. As he reached the door Kiba grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him around forcefully. "Don't you get it Naruto! They are all going to die!"

"Then I will die with them!" Naruto yelled as he swung out his arm throwing Kiba to the ground.

Naruto glared down at Kiba in a rage. But as he looked at him he could see the sadness in Kiba's eyes. He could see the pure grief, and all the anger seemed to melt away. Kiba remained seated looking up at Naruto. The anger in him was fading as well. And all he could feel was regret for his actions. "I'm sorry Naruto," Kiba said. "I just…."

"It's….ok Kiba," Naruto said. "I'm sorry too. This isn't easy for me Kiba. To know what's happening out there. But, there is a reason I'm doing what I'm doing. I need you to believe in me. I am trying to find my own way. I guess in times like this sometimes it's all we can do." Naruto then turned, opened the door and left.

Kiba slowly got to his feet. He could feel the dull ache of his still tender wounds. But it was nothing to pain he felt in his heart. He heard Akamaru yip and he turned to see him laying down behind him. "I know," he said. "I behaved like a real ass." To that Akamru got to his feet and barked. Kiba took a deep breath and said, "Alright. No more resting on the sidelines. It's time we do something boy."

Naruto got to the roof and was immediately met by Ino. "Is everything all right Naruto," she asked.

"No, it isn't" Naruto said as he took his place seated and began to meditate.

_******Meanwhile******_

Sai's eyes opened slowly to blinding light. He closed his eyes for a moment to give his them time to adjust. Finally as he adjusted to the light he placed his hand to his forehead and moaned. _Am I alive_, he wondered. _Yeah, I'm alive. There's no way I'd be in this much pain if I were dead. _

"Hey there Sai." Sai opened his eyes and saw Sakura smiling down at him. "Glad to see you're awake," she said. "It was touch and go for a while. We almost lost you."

"Where am I," Sai asked weakly.

"You're at our medial triage unit behind our secondary defensive position," Sakura said. "Yamato-taicho found you and brought you in."

Sai and Sakura suddenly heard an explosion echoing from the distance. Once it died down Sai said, "Did you just say we were behind the secondary defenses?"

"We are," Sakura said. "Akatsuki pushed our forces back from our perimeter position and now their starting to assault us here." Sakura looked around at the scared faces of her medical staff as they scrambled about desperately treating the injured and near death soldiers. "Things aren't looking good. The wounded outnumber the staff ten to one. We have patients dying simply because my people can't get to them in time."

"Have they gotten Naruto," Sai asked.

"Thankfully no," Sakura responded. "Naruto, surprisingly has remained in the village. For now he's protected." Another explosion went off in the distance, this time closer, causing the sounds of panic to spread through out the area. Sakura sighed deeply and looked around. _That last explosion was closer_, she thought. _At this rate we'll have to evacuate back to the village. But a lot of these patients are too injured to make the trip. They could die._

Sai stared at Sakura as she remained in deep thought. He could tell she was trying to hold it together for her comrades but things were spiraling out of control. Akatsuki had hit them with much more ferocity than they anticipated and Konoha was back on its' heels. He couldn't just lie around.

The sound of Sai's groan seemed to snap Sakura out of her thoughts. She turned to see him struggling to sit up. "Sai, what are you doing," she yelled as she gently pushed him back down. "You're much too injured to move about."

"I can't just rest while a war is going on," Sai said. "I can still fight."

"No Sai, you can't," Sakura responded. "You need to rest. It's the best thing you can do now. Now remain here, I have to check on my other patients. Don't worry, we're not beat just yet."

Sai watched as Sakura walked off and laid down in the bed dejectedly and stared up at the sky. He had been through enough battles to know that if something didn't change soon, this war would be lost.

_******Meanwhile******_

Tanaka Ryota stood on the small hill, surrounded by hundreds of Akatsuki ninja, staring at the defensive walls Konoha had put up in a futile attempt to hold back the forces of Akatsuki; or as he liked to think of it, the forces of destiny. That is what he truly felt like right now. He felt like an extension of the wrath of God, a primal force of nature bent on destroying something that has outlived its right to exist.

He was never a very important man. He was a rouge ninja from Ishigakure. Trained in the art of weapons summoning he was never viewed in his village as any thing but a faceless pawn to be used. He was an unimportant soldier in an unimportant village. But deep down he knew he was destined for better, for more. So he left his village and did not look back.

For some time he worked as a hired thug and mercenary, working mostly small time jobs for anyone who could afford his fee. But this wasn't enough for him. This couldn't be it for him. He knew there was more. It was around that time when one of the contacts he had made told him about an organization led by powerful ninja, who had big ideas about changing the world, were looking for any and all competent ninja to join its ranks.

At first Ryota was skeptical. He'd heard all this before. But his contact said these guys were the real deal and had already amassed a small army that was growing by the day. So he decided to check it out.

When he got to the meeting location there were hundreds of other potential recruits standing about and after a few minutes a masked man wearing black robes with red clouds stepped out upon a balcony high above them. He spoke to them about destiny and the problems with this world, and how he had a plan to change it. Throughout the speech Ryota felt as though the man was speaking right to him. And it was on that day he joined Akatsuki.

And was he ever happy he did. Unlike those foolish elders in Ishigakure who wouldn't know good talent if it sat on their laps, those in command of Akatsuki saw his potential and quickly promoted him. Within two short years he was promoted to leader of his own platoon. And now he and his men were here, poised on the brink of change. They were marching towards victory, to becoming legends, to untold power.

And just as Ryota raised his hand and was going to yell his command for his men to attack the entire area quickly began to grow unnaturally dark. Ryota looked up and saw a large cloud moving in quickly from behind him, obscuring the sun. Ryota almost dismissed it until he looked a bit closer.

_Wait_, he thought. _That's no cloud._ As he realized what it was Ryota quickly pulled out his large scroll. What he thought were clouds he realized was in fact arrows…thousands of them…so many that they were actually blocking out the sun. "Look out," Ryota yelled as he summoned a giant dome, large enough to cover himself.

Ryota remained under his dome as the sound of arrows came raining down all around him. He could hear the anguished screams of his men as they clearly had no time to escape death. After what seamed an eternity the sounds died away and Ryota dispelled the dome.

Ryota looked about in shock as he saw hundreds of his men dead around him, impaled by arrows. There were a few scattered about that seemed to still be alive but almost his entire platoon lay dead at his feet. "God damned idiots," Ryota yelled. _Obviously one of our archer divisions fucked up the targets_, he thought to himself.

For a brief moment Ryota looked around and could not believe his bad luck. But then something dawned on him that made him smile, and then burst into raucous laughter. _Of course_, he thought. _This isn't bad luck! This is just more proof that I am destined for greatness! _

Ryota pulled a nearby arrow from the dirt and laughed. _This was a sign_, he thought. Not even this could stop him he thought. It wasn't until he opened his eyes when he noticed that these arrows weren't the ones issued by Akatsuki. And worse yet, wrapped around the middle of the arrow was an explosive tag.

Ryota dropped the arrow as if it had just bit him and began to run. But he quickly came to a stop when he realized that all of the arrows, hundreds of them, each had an explosive tag attached. "Oh damn," he said. Those were his last words.

_******Meanwhile – Elsewhere******_

"What the hell was that," Karin said as she watched the massive explosion in the distance.

Sasuke stared at the area and said, "That appears to be an unexpected development." Sasuke turned and began to walk towards one of the platoon leaders nearby.

The man saw him coming and snapped to attention. "Sir," he yelled.

"Prepare your men to move out to the North West and take care of our new visitors," Sasuke responded.

_******Meanwhile – Elsewhere******_

"Do you think that got Akatsuki's attention," the man asked.

The woman laughed and said, "I'm pretty sure a blind and deaf man got the message."

"But what if all we did was make them even angrier and they attack us with all their might and actually overwhelm us," the man responded.

"Would you shut up already," the woman yelled. "I wish you wouldn't say such stupid things! There's no way Akatsuki can defeat us!"

"Do they always act like this," another woman asked. "It's really annoying."

"Who the hell are you calling annoying bitch," the first woman asked.

"Who are you calling a bitch you bitch," the second woman responded angrily.

Another man sighed and said, "Stop it Temari. We have more important things to deal with."

The other man said, "Kankuro's right Karui. I mean what if you two start fighting and she hurts you and you're unable to help us fight and…"

"Would you stop saying stuff like that you fucking idiot," Karui yelled. "I swear Omoi if you don't stop I'll kill you myself!"

"Enough," the Raikage said as he dropped down from the trees. "Stop this nonsense and focus on the task at hand! We've got enemies that need killing!"

Gaara walked up next to the Raikage and said, "The Raikage may have a terrible way of putting things but he's right. We need to remain focused. We're lucky to have gotten here as quickly as we have. But things seem to be going badly for our comrades. We must hurry to their aid. Konoha fights alone."

"No," Shikamaru said as he walked out into the opening. He then adjusted a metallic object strapped across his lower back. "Konoha does not fight alone. Not anymore."

End of Chapter Twenty Seven

Next Time: Akatsuki vs. The Alliance


	28. Alliance vs Akatsuki

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to The Chronicles. As always I like to start by stating I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

I'd like to specially thank those who reviewed my previous chapter: ZeroTail29; melapoy; xDARKNESS; holydemon00; InARealPickle; Kushina's Truth of Hell; Corruptchaos; Diamond Man; MyHikari; stryker4narusaku; Sikai; hothead11; SofiaCullen22; Konoha's Crimson Fox; Dinesh; tdwtfan1899; SenninClaudio.

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**RESPONCES**

**ZeroTail29** - Lol! No Naruto is not anyones bitch. Except for Sakura. Lol! No problem. Anytime. I hope what I said helps.

**melapoy **- Lol! Yes, the cavalry is here. but will it be enough?

**xDARKNESS** - Yes, I am reaching the last chapters of my story. And don't worry, Danzo's pwnage is coming soon.

**holydemon00 **- One of the important things I wanted to portray was the idea that this war is large and encompassing everyone and everything. So I chose to show the perspective of the enemy at times as well so that you get the sense that these aren't just a bunch of un named cannon fodder but real people with ambitions. And yes, I too have noticed that no one uses the bow and arrow in Naruto. It seems like a simple weapon to add.

**InARealPickle** - Well, all I can say is the the chapter was completely different before I re-wrote it. And though I'm not 100% happy with it I do think it's a better version. Yes, I wanted to distiguish Kabumaru as very creepy and sick. And you haven't seen anything yet. Glad you're enjoying the story so far. I'll try to keep it up.

**Kushina's **- No offense but i hope all your ideas are wrong. I want to keep you guessing. Lol! You know I'm really glad so many liked the chapter. I think re-writing it was the best decision.

**Diamond Man** - Lol! Yeah, it was looking bleak for our heroes there for a while. But now the Alliance has arrived and things are about to turn. But the question is...how will Madara react. Well, if you hate Danzo so much I think you'll enjoy the next few chapters. Lol!

**MyHikari **- Lol! Glad you loved it.

**stryker4narusaku** - Lol! Thanx.

**Sikai **- Glad you liked it.

**hothead11 **- Hmm, I wonder if anyone else paid attention to the mention of the treasure? Seems like an important fact don't you?

**SofiaCullen **- Glad you enjoyed it.

**Konoha's Crimson Fox** - Hey Sasuke K. So you changed the name huh? I like it. Things are getting interesting indeed.

**Dinesh **- What? LotR? Where? Lol!

**tdwtfan1899** - We'll learn about Naruto soon enough. And yes, I saved Sai. I like him and have plans for him. Lol!

**SenninClaudio** - Glad you're so excited for new chapters. I hope this new one lives up to your expectations.

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**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Ok, so here is chapter 28. Sorry for missing last week. Like I told you guys, I decided to re-write several chapters completely and that has caused delays. I'm starting to get back on track and hopefully I can resume my weekly release schedule. Anyway, here is chapter 28. Please feel free to leave a review once done.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XVIII: Alliance vs. Akatsuki

Ino remained silent as she stood watching Naruto. When he came to her and explained that he would need her help and what he needed her to do her initial reaction was happiness. She was happy to have to play such an important role in what she hoped would be a victory for her village. But it was now, standing here when she realized the enormity of what was expected of her. If she failed, everything would be lost.

It was at a time like this she wished she had something to do to occupy her mind so she wouldn't have to think about it. But she had no such luck. All she could do was watch and wait in silence. She might be standing near to Naruto but in reality she was alone, alone with her thoughts.

Just then, to her surprise Naruto burst into laughter. "What is it Naruto," she asked. "What's going on?"

Naruto stopped laughing and looked back at Ino with a grin and said, "It looks like Homura just lost a bet."

Ino stared at Naruto with a confused look as Naruto faced forward and couldn't wipe the smile from his face.

_******Meanwhile******_

"Alright," the Raikage yelled as he addressed the large army. Standing next to him was Gaara and before them were the joint forces of Suna and Kumo. Several thousand ninja were ready to come to the aid of Konoha.

It wasn't easy to get here so soon. They had to push themselves, almost running non stop to arrive in the Land of Fire. "I will take half of the troops and lead them along the southern pass. The Kazekage will lead the other half though the north! Our mission is simple; kill every enemy we find until we can meet up with Konoha's forces! Do not hold back! Give it your all and we will achieve victory!"

The Raikage nodded at the Kazekage as the two forces went their separate ways. The Raikage and his forces began running through the woods, sprinting at top speed. As usual the Raikage remained at the front of his army choosing to set the pace. Once they reached another clearing the Raikage stopped and turned to his men. "Darui," he yelled.

Darui, a tall dark skinned man with white hair came forward. "Yes Lord Raikage," he answered.

"I want you and Omoi to take a small contingent and begin searching for Madara Uchiha," the Raikage said. "When you find him, do not engage him. He's far too dangerous. Send word to me and I will come to you! In the meantime I will take the rest of the main force and press through the enemy to Konoha."

"Yes sir," Darui said as he, Omoi and a small group of twenty ninja leapt off.

"The rest of you stay with me," The Raikage yelled as he ran, making a direct bee line for Konoha.

As the group sprinted through the woods the Raikage could hear movement up ahead. He quickly came to a stop and signaled his men to halt. The sounds of fighting, screams and explosions could be heard in the distance all around them, yet it seemed unnaturally quiet in their location.

Just then a kunai with an explosive tag came flying out of the shadows directly at the Raikage. In one smooth, impossibly quick motion, the Raikage grabbed the kunai out of the air and threw it back in the direction it came. Two bodies of Akatsuki ninja fell out of the tree as the kunai exploded. Dozens upon dozens of Akatsuki began leaping out of the trees heading right towards them.

"Hold your positions," the Raikage yelled as they found themselves in battle. More and more Akatsuki ninja continued to appear from all directions as Kumo's forces found themselves in heated combat.

_******Meanwhile******_

"Temari, take out those archers," Gaara yelled as he pointed at fifteen archers standing on a low ridge above them. About four minutes after splitting with The Raikage's forces Gaara and his army were attacked by a large army of Akatsuki ninja.

Temari swung her large fan and created several blasts of heavy air currents that slashed into the archers killing them instantly. Behind her an Akatsuki ninja appeared ready to slice her in the back with his sword. Shikamaru arrived just in time and stabbed the ninja in the side and kicked him away. "Be more focused Temari," Shikamaru yelled as he ran towards another enemy.

Temari looked at Shikamaru as he attacked one enemy after another with a ferocity she didn't know he was capable of.

Shikamaru used a kunai to block one attack and drew another kunai and threw it into the back of another enemy. He then stepped away from the first attacker and waited for him to attack again. As the ninja closed in Shikamaru used one hand to create a hand sign and disappeared into the shadow of a Suna ninja standing nearby.

His attacker paused in shock only for Shikamaru to suddenly appear out of the shadow of that same ninja. Before the ninja could react Shikamaru stabbed him in the chest and pushed him to the ground. Before the ninja's corpse could hit the ground Shikamaru had already engaged a new enemy.

Some distance away Gaara watched as Shikamaru, methodically and coldly dispatched enemy after enemy. _He's angry_, Gaara thought to himself. _These people caused the death of his sensei and another close friend. And now they are invading his home. It appears even someone as laid back as Nara Shikamaru can go on a rampage._

As Gaara saw more and more enemies continue flooding into the area he made a decision. Gaara made several hand signs and said, "Living Sand Nightmare." Sand began pouring out of his gourd and wound its way around his comrades and wrapping itself around the throats of all the Akatsuki ninja and began to tighten, suffocating every ninja there.

Satisfied that none of the enemies would cause any further problem, Gaara dispelled the jutsu and released the several hundred bodies that all landed with a thud. "All right," Gaara said. "Let's keep moving forward."

_******Meanwhile******_

"Push them back," Shikaku yelled over the sounds of battle. About fifteen minutes ago he had received an answer to his request for additional troops. He still couldn't believe the Hokage had declined his request. Not only that but he instructed them to remain at the outpost despite the fact that they were out numbered severely_. He's sacrificing us so that he can by time to fortify his defenses,_ Shikaku thought when he received that answer.

Despite the fact that the tactician within him could see sense in the plan, it didn't make it any easier to look into his comrades faces knowing that they had all been left to die. Never the less he had to spur them on. They had to fight as hard as they could for as long as they could. They had to hold the line. That was their mission now.

Shikaku punched one ninja and then slashed another with a kunai. Looking over the nearby crowd he could see more Akatsuki ninja pouring in through the shattered defensive walls they had erected. Choza was near the wall using his Multi-size technique to make himself grow. Choza and several Konoha ninja were desperately trying to kill as many ninja coming through the wall as possible. But Akatsuki were pouring through by the dozens, Shikaku knew they'd soon be over-run. Looking to Choji who had just defeated five enemies, Shikaku yelled, "Choji! I need you to clear a path to the wall! We need to get there to help your father!"

"Right," Choji yelled back as he made several hand signs and yelled, "Multi-Size Jutsu!" Choji's body grew incredibly large and then he said, "Follow me Tai-cho!" Choji's hair suddenly became very sharp and he yelled, "Spiked Human Bullet!" Choji tucked himself into a ball and rolled towards the wall at an incredible speed, crushing all the Akatsuki ninja in his path.

"Alright," Shikaku yelled. "Everyone follow me!" Shikaku along with several dozen ninja ran behind the path Choji was making towards the wall. Iruka, Guy and Konohamaru quickly joined him at the front of the group.

"Shikaku Tai-cho," Konohamaru yelled. "What's the plan!"

"First we get to the wall and push the enemy back," he yelled. "After that we go from there!"

Choza furiously swiped at every enemy in range as the last of his comrades who bravely fought by his side were cut down leaving him alone at the wall. Several Akatsuki ninja began to attack his legs hoping to bring him down and he screamed in pain as several large shuriken embedded themselves into his calf causing him to fall to one knee. _Damn_, he thought. _Guess this is it. My time has come. Forgive me Shikaku, I've done all I can._

"Father," Choji yelled as his massive body rolled up crushing all the nearby enemies. Choza looked up to see his son helping him to his feet. "You're not dying today," Choji said with a smile.

Choza looked beyond Choji to see Shikaku and the remainder of soldiers screaming as they attacked the remaining Akatsuki Ninja. Choza smiled and let go of his son. "Right," he said as he and his son re-entered the battle.

Just outside the walls a man stood leaning against the tree in the shade, among the hundreds of Akatsuki ninja as they tried to force their way through. The man was incredibly tall and muscular with black cloth wrapped around his fists and arms. He wore a black, sleeveless, tattered shirt and black loose fitting pants. Strapped on his back was a large zanbato, fashioned after The Great Beheader. The hilt of the sword was wrapped in black clothe and the blade was buffed to a high shine so that it gleamed in the sun light.

"Tch," the man said as he stared at the scene before him with growing anger. He watched as the relatively small group of Konoha ninjas tore his men apart and he could feel a heat growing in his brain_. I swear I've been put in charge of the dumbest Division in all Akatsuki_, he thought as he watched his men die.

"Hey you idiots," he yelled to everyone in ear shot. "Form ranks! I said form ranks! Damn what a pain in the ass." All of the men stopped and quickly fell in line as the Konoha ninja dealt with the last remaining Akatsuki Ninja. "Now, let's do this right," the large man yelled.

As the last of the Akatsuki ninja fell Shikaku, Konohamaru and the rest stared out of the large hole in the wall and saw the remaining Akatsuki ninja waiting in organized ranks. "What are they waiting for," Guy asked.

"Their preparing themselves for one full forced offensive," Shikaku said. _This is it_, he thought. _They're readying to hit us with everything they have. _Shikaku looked around at the remaining rag tag group of ninja he had at his disposal. Everyone was tired and had various injuries. He wanted to say something inspirational but there was little value in it. There was no way they would survive the next onslaught and they all knew it.

Shikakau looked to Konohamaru and said, "Konohamaru, you and Choji should head back and send word of what's happening here."

Konohamaru stared at Shikaku for a moment before looking at Choji. Choji nodded and then both boys looked at Shikaku with steely stares. "With all due respect Tai-cho we won't be able to follow that order," Konohamaru said.

"Yes," answered Choji. "We know what you're really trying to do and we appreciate it. But we will stay and fight."

Shikaku, Iruka, Guy and Choza stared at the boys for a moment and they couldn't help but smile. "All right," Shikaku said. "Then let's kick Akatsuki's ass! Choza, you and Choji will stand on each side of the hole and the rest of us will fan out in the middle. We remain no further than arms length apart and we must not get pushed away from each other. Strike fast and move on to the next target! Understand!"

Everyone quickly got into their formation as they saw the Akatsuki ninja begin to yell and scream in an effort to intimidate them. Then for a moment there was nothing but silence, until they heard someone within the Akatsuki army yell for them to attack and then they took off, sprinting at the wall at top speed.

"All right everyone," Shikaku yelled as he braced himself. "Remember what I said! Stay no more that arms length away from each other! We can do this!"

The Akatsuki ninja crashed into them like a wave that almost knocked them all back. Instantly each of them were caught in a life or death battle with three or more ninja. The sound of steel on steel rung out in the air. The smell of blood and sweat was everywhere and the sounds of death was deafening.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu," Shikaku yelled as his shadow stretched out and merged with the shadows of ten ninja. He then forced them to face each other and stab each other in the chest.

Guy opened the Seventh Gate and used his incredible speed to overwhelm the enemy. He was ducking, blocking and dodging any attack and knocking away enemies with a single punch or kick.

Choza and Choji remained by the wall, using their massive size to prevent too many enemies from pouring through the opening and overwhelming them. Meanwhile they proceeded to swat away enemies like flies.

Iruka and Konohamaru worked in tandem, watching each others backs and fighting off any and all enemies.

The tall ninja remained leaning against the tree as he watched the scene play out before him. He was impressed that such a small group could hold off hundreds of trained soldiers. _The ninja of Konoha are very impressive indeed_, he thought. But he could see that they were wearing down and in time they would lack the energy to keep fighting.

The man looked into the sky and saw the moon slowly approaching the sun. "Ah," the man said. "I was instructed to take Konoha by the time of the solar eclipse. At this rate that'll never happen. Damn, I hate having to work."

The man stood up straight and slowly began to walk towards the battle. He lazily walked over the rubble that was once the defensive wall Konoha had erected and slowly walked into the middle of where everyone was fighting. For a while he merely stood and watched and saw Shikaku shouting orders while he fought off wave after wave of enemies. _That one_, the man thought. _That one is the key._

Three ninja leapt off the unbroken portion of the wall at Choza, who saw them coming and slapped them away in mid air. Choza then looked down and saw the tall man staring at Shikaku. The man was slowly drawing his weapon and Choza could feel a murderous intent coming from the man.

Choza decided to strike first and used his open hand and struck down at the man, intent on crushing him. Choza smiled, believing to have finished the man off when, to his surprise, he felt something under his hand pushing it up. It was the man, who was pushing Choza off of him using only one hand.

_What_, Choza thought. _How can he be stronger than me in this form! He's pushing me off with one hand! _Choza began to use all his might to crush the man but still the man continued to push Choza back. The man then used his sword and slashed Choza across the forearm. Choza screamed as he recoiled and grabbed his open wound.

"Father," Choji yelled as he fought away more Akatsuki ninja as he desperately tried to get to his father. Angered, Choza tried to attack the man with his one good hand. He threw a punch at the man only for him to disappear right before his eyes.

The man reappeared right by Choza's feet and sliced him straight through his leg. Choza screamed and fell back onto the floor and clutched at his leg.

"Father," Choji yelled as he reached his father. "Are you all right?"

"Choji," Shikaku yelled. "Remember what I said! Keep fighting!"

But it was too late, distracted by his father, the Akatsuki ninja pounced, slicing Choji in the arm and leg. Choji yelled in pain and turned to face him. Choji quickly made his hair grow long and spiked and tucked into a ball and attempted to run the man over but again the man disappeared and reappeared behind Choji.

Choji stopped rolling, un-tucked himself and threw a punch and again the man disappeared and reappeared away from Choji's attack.

"Who is that guy," Shikaku asked.

"I heard one of the Akatsuki ninja call him Tai-cho," Konohamaru answered.

"So he's their captain huh," Iruka said. "What is that technique? Is it teleportation?"

"No," Guy responded. "It's pure speed. He's just moving so fast we can't see it. Even I can barely keep up."

Choji again tried to attack but this time the man disappeared and re-appeared on Choji's shoulder and slashed through Choji's neck. Choji's screamed and grasped at his neck as blood poured out. The man leapt off just as Choji began to shrink to normal size and fell on his back.

"Choji," Konohamaru yelled as he tried to run to him only to have Shikaku pull him back.

"No Konohamaru,' Shikaku yelled. "That's just what he wants you to do. He didn't kill Choza because he wanted Choji to run to him without thinking. Then he was able to take advantage. If you run to Choji now, he'll cut you down."

"So how do we stop someone who moves that fast," Iruka asked.

Shikaku looked at the man and then said, "Wait, I know who you are. There were rumors that there was an assassin from The Land of Valleys that had somehow mastered Body Flicker to an unprecedented level. I believe his name was Wind Walker Shojimaru."

Shojimaru turned and looked back lazily at them. "I don't suppose I could convince you to give up and let my men kill you could I," he asked. "Doing things this way is a lot of work. What a pain."

"Alright," Shikaku said. "I think I have a plan for taking this guy out…"

Before Shikaku could finish, Shojimaru appeared right in the middle of them and swung his large sword, slicing Iruka in the chest and Konohamaru in the arm. Guy and Shikaku were just fast enough to dodge and rolled out of the way. "Damn," Shojimaru said. "Can't you guys stay still? I hate having to work this hard. Damned pain in the ass."

Shikaku remained in a ready stance and said, "Iruka! Konohamaru! Are you two alright!"

"Yes," Iruka said as he struggled to his feet. "My flack jacket absorbed some of the attack."

"I'm fine," Konohamaru responded as he held his hand over the wound on his arm.

"Guy," Shikaku said. "Can you keep up with him!"

Guy stared at the man and looked deep into his eyes. He couldn't help but notice the complete disinterest in the man's eyes. It was as if he would much rather sleep than be here. "Yes," Guy said as burst into a sprint at the man. _With Seven Gates opened I should be able to move as fast as him_, Guy thought as he closed in on the man.

Guy threw a punch at Shojimaru's face that just missed him and then followed with kick that also just missed. Again and again Guy threw punches and kicks from different angles that continued to miss. Guy finally leapt back to make space and threw a kunai at Shojimaru that forced him to step aside. Shojimaru saw Shikaku move out of the corner of his eye and he threw his sword high into the sky.

Suddenly Shojimaru found that he couldn't move and he looked down he saw that his shadow was now attached to Shikaku's. "Shadow Imitation Jutsu complete," Shikaku said.

At that same moment Guy fired his Afternoon Tiger and it hurtled towards Shojimaru.

"Shikaku, look out," Iruka screamed as he leapt towards him. Above Shikaku was Shojimaru's sword that was hurtling down towards him. Iruka pushed Shikaku out of the way but screamed in pain as the sword sliced through his side.

With Shikaku's concentration broken, his jutsu was broken and Shojimaru used his speed to dodge the Afternoon Tiger and kicked Guy squarely in the ribs, shattering them and sending his body airborne and crashing to the ground.

"Rasengan," Konohamaru yelled as he attacked Shojimaru from behind. But still he was too fast as he quickly turned and with a simple hand gesture, knocked Konohamaru's arm away causing the Rasengan to strike the ground.

Before he could recover, Shojimaru kicked Konohamaru in the side of the head launching into the dirt, knocking him out cold. Shojimaru then looked around at his handiwork. Every one of the Konoha ninja were either dead, dying or too injured to fight. All but one. Shikaku got to his feet and prepared to fight.

Shojimaru began to slowly walk towards him like a lion stalking its prey. Shikaku still couldn't get passed the lazy, uninterested look on the man's face. He seemed a walking contradiction. He was faster and stronger than anyone he'd ever seen yet he seemed even lazier than his son.

Shikaku quickly made several hand signs and his shadow began to expand towards Shojimaru. With a burst of speed Shojimaru sidestepped the shadow and again Shikaku launched his attack and again Shojimaru dodged. This happened again and again as Shojimaru got closer and closer.

Realizing he just wasn't fast enough Shikaku drew two kunai just as Shojimaru pulled his sword from the ground next to a fallen Iruka. Shikaku lunged forward hoping to catch Shojimaru off guard but he was still too fast and Shojimaru sidestepped the attack and sliced Shikaku deeply in his stomach.

Guy groaned as he struggled to get to his feet. He clutched as his chest as every breath he took he could feel a sharp pain. It was the familiar feeling of having broken ribs. _One kick_, Guy thought. _He defeated me with one kick? Damn! _

As his vision cleared Guy saw the man counter and cut deep into Shikaku. _No_, Guy thought as he fought to get to his feet. His legs were like heavy weights and his entire body was wracked with pain. _The effects of opening the Seventh Gate are wearing off. My only shot at getting there in time would be to open the Eighth Gate. But that would mean…_

Shikaku felt the dull ache in his stomach as blood poured from his open wound. His vision suddenly began to darken as he stumbled forward before dropping to his knees. Shikaku spat up blood and looked at his hands as they were covered in his blood.

Guy began to concentrate, desperately trying to open the Eighth Gate in time to get to Shikaku. He saw Shojimaru walk up behind a kneeling Shikaku and raise his sword. Just as Guy as about to activate the Eighth Gate he saw something that made him stop in his tracks and stare in amazement.

Shojimaru raised his sword intent on beheading the ninja knelt before him but as he tried to swing his sword he found it wouldn't move. When he looked back he was shocked to see a small tower of sand extending from the ground all the way up and engulfing his sword. "What the…," he yelled in shock. But as he looked beyond the sword he saw something far more shocking.

A large army of what appeared to be Sunagakure ninja were dispatching the remainder of his division and looming above everyone, standing on a large wall made of sand that was twice as high as any tree in the area was a red haired man with a gourd strapped to his back. "The Kazekage of the Sand," Shojimaru whispered in astonishment.

Within seconds Shojimaru found himself surrounded by Sunagakure forces including the renowned Puppet Master Kankuro. Shojimaru let got of the sword as he knew there would be no point in trying to pull it free. The sand had hardened to stone at it was not going to budge. Shojimaru looked at Kankuro and the other ninja. He then looked up at the Kazekage who remained atop his wall. His arms folded, he continued to glare directly at Shojimaru. The message, in his silence was clear.

"All right," Shojimaru said with a bored expression on his face as he raised his hands. "I give up. All this was too much work anyway."

_******A few minutes later******_

Shikaku opened his eyes and got up with a start. "What," he yelled as it took him a moment to remember where he was and what had happened.

He then felt someone's hand gently ease him back down. When he looked he saw a smiling, yet unfamiliar face of a Suna ninja. "You should settle down," the man said. "We're still trying to treat your wounds."

"Who are you," Shikaku asked. "What's going on?"

It was then he heard another voice. But this time it was very familiar. "You should listen to my medic Nara Shikaku," Gaara said as he walked up next him. "You may be awake but you still need treatment."

"The Kazekage," Shikaku said in shock. "You're forces have arrived?" Shikaku closed his eyes and took a deep sigh. "Thank God." He then opened his eyes and sat up again and yelled, "But what about Choza and the others?" Shikaku felt a sharp pain in his stomach and again the medic helped guide him back down.

"Do that again and I'll have no choice but to sedate you," the medic said, clearly annoyed.

"They are all fine," Gaara replied. "Iruka, Guy, Konohamaru, Choji and his father are all alive. Choji and his father were the most seriously hurt but our medics are working on them. I've also used my sand to repair and reinforce your defenses. And most of my army is out clearing the enemy from the area. Once the injured are able to be moved we'll march to Konoha."

Shikaku smiled and said, "My son, where is he?"

"Not here," Gaara said. "Before we made it here I broke a part of my forces off and sent them to clear out enemies in another area. Shikamaru and my sister are leading that group."

_******Meanwhile******_

Shikamaru bent down over the dead body of a Konoha ninja and closed her eyes. He recognized her from Konohamaru's graduating class. _Hibari_, he thinks her name was. Shikamaru took a deep breath and stood up. All around, scattered about were dead Konoha ninja. Many were clearly very young and some of the older ones didn't really have the look of a seasoned warrior. It was clear some of these people were just citizens turned cannon fodder.

_The King_, Shikamaru thought_. My mission, above all others, is to protect the King. _Shikamaru clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he stared at the young girls face. Slowly the sounds of battle jarred him out of his deep thought as Shikamaru looked up and saw Temari and her soldiers doing battle with the Division of Akatsuki they had intercepted.

Shikamaru suddenly burst into a dead sprint towards a group of four Akatsuki ninja. One was tall and muscular and carried a large axe. Another was thin and carried a rapier. The two others appeared like average ninja. He drew a kunai in each hand as he closed in and leapt high into the sky. The four ninja saw him and quickly tried to defend themselves. While in the air Shikamaru threw one of the kunai at one of the ninja who had a large axe in his hands.

The ninja blocked it only to realize it had an explosive tag on it. The four ninja leapt out of the way in time and as they landed the thin ninja with the rapier stood face to face with Shikamaru. The man immediately attacked with his sword forcing Shikamaru to block his attacks again and again.

Another ninja moved in behind him armed with a kunai and tried to stab him in the back while the one with the rapier lunged forward hoping to stab him in the heart. Shikamaru deftly sidestepped the attack and grabbed the man by the wrist and pulled him forward. The rapier stabbed the ninja behind Shikamaru cleanly through, killing him. Shikamaru then kicked the ninja with the rapier away and threw his kunai into the chest of the third ninja who was sprinting towards him.

This left only the large man with the axe that quickly closed in and swung his giant axe at Shikamaru's neck. Shikamaru ducked under the attack and then rolled back to put space between him and the hulking man. Again the man ran at Shikamaru and swung his axe down hoping to cleave him in half. Shikamaru back flipped high in the sky, landing a good distance away. He quickly made several hand signs and his shadow shot out towards the man.

Having seen Shikamaru's jutsu before the man leapt surprisingly high in the sky and rolled to the left allowing Shikamaru's shadow to miss his own. As soon as the man landed he grinned and sprinted at Shikamaru. "Too bad you missed the mark," he yelled. "Now you're dead!"

Much to the man's surprise Shikamaru sprinted towards him and with an empty hand, made a stabbing motion towards the large man just as his axe came down only to stop inches from Shikamaru's forehead.

The man's mouth hung agape as he made little wheezing sounds. As he looked down he saw a rapier sticking out of his chest. He then looked beyond the sword to the ground where he saw Shikamaru's shadow extended out towards him but went around his shadow and behind him. As he looked around he saw that Shikamaru's shadow was attached to his Akatsuki comrade who used the rapier.

"I didn't miss my target," Shikamaru said as the large man dropped his axe and fell to his knees. Shikamaru motioned as though he was pulling the sword from the man's chest and the other ninja followed suit, pulling his sword out of the large man's back.

Shikamaru then motioned as though he was turning the sword to face himself and the ninja with the rapier followed suit turning the blade so that the point of it was now pointed at his own heart. The man burst into a cold sweat as he looked at Shikamaru with frightened pleading eyes. He seemed on the verge of tears. Shikamaru, for his part, stared at him coldly and motioned as though he was stabbing himself.

The man followed as well and made a small scream as he stabbed himself through the heart. Shikamaru released his shadow binding technique and the man fell with a thud. Shikamaru then looked back at the large man who was still kneeling before him. Blood trickled from his mouth as his eyes began to roll up into his head. "Well," he said. "What are you waiting for? Finish me."

Shikamaru glared at him and then grabbed the man by the face. "I would," Shikamaru said as he pushed the man to the ground. "If you were worth the trouble."

Shikamaru stepped over the man and walked towards Temari who had just finished off the last of the Akatsuki ninja in the area. "You alright," she asked.

"I will be once this is all over," Shikamaru said. "We should gather your men and keep moving."

Just then they heard yelling coming from just ahead and a group of two dozen Akatsuki ninja came running through the trees at them. Temari and her men readied themselves when Shikamaru signaled for them to stand down and walked ahead of them.

Seeing Shikamaru calmly standing alone in front caused the Akatsuki ninja's to stop and wait thinking this was some type of trap. _What the hell are you up to Shikamaru_, Temari wondered as she looked on.

Shikamaru then removed the metallic object strapped to his lower back and said, "If there any among you who don't want to die I suggest you leave now. I will give you this one chance."

A kunai came flying from the group of Akatsuki and landed between Shikamaru's feet. Shikamaru looked at it and then looked at the group as they now cautiously advanced on him. "Why don't they ever listen," Shikamaru whispered as he shook his head.

He then flicked his wrist and the metallic object expanded until it was revealed to be a large shuriken. Each blade on the shuriken was wrapped in thin brown rope. Shikamaru then threw it at the advancing group of enemies who paused prepared to block the attack. But much to their surprise the shuriken arched up at the last minute and flew above them. At the same time the rope on the blades loosened and it looked like a spinning net above them.

"Is that it," one of the Akatsuki ninja said as he laughed. It was then he and the other ninjas looked down to see the large spinning shadow the weapon above them caused and they looked up to see Shikamaru make several hand signs.

"This is a special jutsu I created," Shikamaru said. "Ninja Art: Infinite Darkness." Suddenly the large shadow cast by Shikamaru's specially crafted shuriken began to expand like ink. All of the Akatsuki ninja stopped in their tracks and watched as the shadow expanded until it took the shape of a large circle that surrounded them all. Then to their combined horror, the shadow began to rise like baking bread and as it did they all realized that the shadow was consuming them.

Panicked, they began to pull free and tried to jump away with no avail. The rising shadow was like glue and they could feel it pulling them within its dark depths. The shadow began to rise higher and higher as it pulled all of the Akatsuki ninja into it until the last of them, screaming and grasping at anything that would save him from his fate, disappeared into a sphere.

Shikamaru remained in his stance, concentrating and drenched in sweat. Satisfied, he released the jutsu and the sphere shrank and disappeared, leaving no trace that anyone was ever there. The large shuriken fell to the floor with a clang.

Temari walked up to Shikamaru and caught him as he lost his balance. She could see in his face that this jutsu, whatever it is, required a massive amount of chakra. "What was that," she asked.

In between large gasps he said, "That….was something….I hoped I'd never…..have to use."

As strength returned to Shikamaru he let go of Temari and stood up under his own power and slowly began to make his way towards the pre-determined meet up point. "What happened to them," she asked as she and her men followed behind.

"Trust me Temari," Shikamaru said. "That's something you don't want to know."

_******Meanwhile – Konoha – War Room******_

"Really," Inoichi asked excitedly. "Are you certain?" A few moments later Inoichi removed the headgear from his head and got up and quickly made his way over to the where the elders and Hokage were. "Lady Fifth we've just received amazing news," he said.

"What is it," Tsunade asked.

"A unified alliance of Sunagakure and Kumogakure forces have arrived and have engaged Akatsuki," Inoichi said happily.

"What," Homura yelled as he got to his feet. "They actually made it in time?"

"Yes Homura-sama," Inoichi responded. "In fact they've already dispatched the enemy at our Western borders. The Kumo army, led by the Raikage himself, has met up with Yamato and the rest of our forces to the west. And we've just received word from Shikaku that the Kazekage and his forces helped them secure our Eastern borders!"

"It's a miracle," Koharu said as she seemed on the verge of tears. Meanwhile the entire room burst into cheers at hearing the news.

Tsunade turned to where Danzo sat and said, "Well Danzo, it seems….." Tsunade stopped when she noticed Danzo wasn't there. She began to look around and found no trace of him. "Quiet," she yelled to calm every one down. "Where is Danzo? Has anyone seen him? Did anyone see him leave?"

Everyone looked around but no one answered. "Homura, Koharu," Tsunade said. "I don't know about you, but Danzo's actions have been suspicious as of late. And now with what we know about his decision with ROOT and leaving secretly I think we need to find him and find out just what he's been up to."

Homura seemed to think things over as if he was reluctant to do what he knew needed to be done. "I agree," Koharu said. "Homura, we've given Danzo free reign to change things in Konoha because we thought his way would be best. But perhaps we've given him too much freedom. We owe it to the village to at least investigate."

Homura looked at Tsunade and Koharu and after a moment said, "Fine. Let's find Danzo. And once this thing is over we'll see if he is involved with Akatsuki."

_******Meanwhile******_

"Are you satisfied now Madara," Sasuke said mockingly. "You're arrogance has left us reeling. Instead of just taking care of business you insisted on toying with them and now look. Are you surprised that you've so far failed spectacularly?"

Madara remained silent as he stared out over the horizon. After a few moments he said, "The only thing that surprises me is how highly incompetent the people around me are proving to be. But never the less, this latest development changes nothing. I never expected my army to defeat Konoha. Eventually the Nine Tails would have gotten involved and likely changed the tide. I wanted to force him to get involved and enter the battle field and make it easier to get him. But this new development is meaningless. This just accelerates my plans."

Madara then turned and walked past Sasuke and Karin and up to the large imposing statue looming over them. "Come Sasuke," he said. "It's time."

Sasuke sighed and walked up to the statue as a concerned Karin looked on. Sasuke's Sharingan suddenly turned grey and ripple patterns emanated from the pupils. "Alright," Sasuke said. "Let's bring hell to Konoha."

_******A few moments later******_

Yamato smiled and took a deep breath as he sat on the large boulder. He couldn't believe his luck. A few minutes ago Akatsuki's forces were breaking through the last of their defenses and things were looking bleak. The next thing he knew The Raikage and the rest of his army was attacking Akatsuki from the rear and within moments, Akatsuki's forces had been defeated.

And if that wasn't enough he had just received word from headquarters that Sunagakure had also arrived and helped repel Akatsuki's forces over by the Eastern borders. Yamato wiped some of the dirt and grime from his face and smiled as he watched his men, standing side by side with Kumo, celebrating their victory.

But there was still much to do. Yamato got to his feet and was walking over to the Raikage when he heard a deep rumbling in the distance. The entire ground shook violently as everyone grew silent. "What the hell was that," Yamato asked.

_******Meanwhile******_

Sakura paused as the last tremor died down. The entire medical unit went deathly quiet as she got to her feet and looked out towards the distance. Even Sai, who had fallen asleep, sat up in his bed and looked about. Everyone remained deathly quiet until they heard a deep roar in the distance. Followed by another and another and another.

_******Meanwhile******_

Tsunade, Homura and Koharu were talking amongst themselves as they were trying to organize a party to search for Danzo. Inoichi waited patiently when he heard several roars in the distance. Turning to the window his mouth hung open as everyone in the room slowly began to look out of the large windows in shock.

Inoichi turned to the elders who were so engrossed in their planning that they had yet to notice what was happening outside. "Lady Fifth," Inoichi said. His voice was low and breaking under the shock of what he was seeing. Unfortunately his voice was too low to be heard. "Lady Fifth," he said again but Tsunade and the elders continued to talk. "My Lady," Inoichi screamed that finally got her attention.

"What is it Inoi…..chi," Tsunade and the other two elders stared out of the bay windows with a mix of amazement and utter terror at what they saw in the distance. The entire room shook from the force of their roars.

_******Meanwhile******_

Naruto remained completely still, glowing bright red with chakra. It was then he heard the excited voice of the Nine Tails. _**"Boy! It's time! It's time to put your insane plan into motion!"**_

Naruto slowly opened his eyes and calmly looked out across the large expanse of land where he saw in the distance the silhouettes of four incredibly large creatures. _**"I hope you're ready boy," the Nine Tails yelled. "They're here!"**_

_End of Chapter Twenty Eight_

_Next Time: Wrath of the Biju_

_"...But the dreamers of the day are dangerous men..."_

_The Curse..._is coming.


	29. Wrath of the Biju

_INTRODUCTION_

Welcome to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I like to begin by stating that I do not own Naruto.

* * *

_THANK YOU_

A special thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Kushina's Truth of Hell; Diamond Man; ZeroTail29; InARealPickle; xDARKNESS; SenninClaudio; FoxSage19; melapoy; hideki411; MyHikari; airnaruto45; Codegeasslulu; Anonymous-stalker; Corruptchaos; charles cdv; hothead11; stryker4narusaku; perfect beauty; Cloud Ex SOLDIER; Konoha's Crimson Fox; iRamen; XxMusicBlueLoverxX; Ben Vilhaven & LoveOfYourLife.

* * *

_RESPONCES_

**Kushina's **- Everyday? lol! Ok, in case you are serious about checking everyday let me tell you this, I submit new chapters ONLY on Sundays or Mondays at the latest. If you don't see one on either day then wait a week. Lol! Plus I always make a point to tell you guys if I'm taking any time off. Unfortunately has been malfunctioning and I couldn't update my story. Fortunately I finall yfound a way around the error.

But, I'm glad I continue to capture your interest and let's see if I can keep you guessing a bit. :)

**Diamond Man** - I couldn't have summarized it better myself. Things are starting to formulate just as I planned and things are about to heat up. As for Danzo...well...you should read this chapter.

**ZeroTail29 **- Lol! Everyone sure loves seeing Danzo's plans and machinations begin to fall apart. Well, glad you're enjoying the story.

**InARealPickle** - Lol! I think you're amazed huh?

**xDARKNESS** - You know I love the cliffhangers dude. Lol! It doesn't appear as if there will be a delay in the animes and manga so I guess you can enjoy all three interupted.

**SenninClaudio** - Thanks. Things are going to get insane from here on out!

**FoxSage19 **- Thanx.

**melapoy** - This chapter will be action packed. This I promise!

**hideki411** - Thanx

**MyHikari** - Oh, you have no idea how much worse it's going to get. Lol!

**airnaruto45** - Lol! You sure are one angery s.o.b. Lol!

**Codegeasslulu** - Thnx. Glad you're enjoying it so much.

**Anonymous-Stalker** - I actually went back and watched all the anime episodes that had the 9T talking so I could better get his "voice". Thankfully my extra studying seems to have worked out. As for the war, i wanted this to be a defining moment in everyones lives. In Kishi's canon work he repeatedly made a big deal about how war affected the lives of previous generations. I wanted this war of mine to do the same for those who take part in it.

**Corruptchaos** - Thanx.

**charles cdv** - Thanx.

**hothead11** - Naruto's plan is one that will define his legacy from this day forward. Nuff said.

**stryker4narusaku** - Thanx

**perfect beauty** - Hmm, so you took the long way to discover my little story huh? Lol! Ok, well I'm actually pretty happy you found this through a recommendation. It's always great to hear from new fans. Plotting and characterizations, needless to say, are the paramount focus in this story. I wanted something that made sense as an "alternate version" for Kishi's work while still having a sense of realism. Basically I wanted this story to seem so close to canon that you could almost believe Kishi himself would take it this way.

**Cloud Ex-SOLDIER** - Shikamaru is an interesting character. As much so as the main one IMO. i wanted him to be affected by this war a little differently. I wanted to explore the darker aspects of his character that Kishi touched on in his fight with Hidan. I think I was able to show that even the lazy genious can go on a rampage. Believe it or not, my OC's are all created on the spot with no previous planning. Unlike the rest of my story they are always spontaneous creations.

You speak about leadership as someone who knows it well. but you are right. Another theme I wanted to get across is how different people view war differently. While some see it as an opportunity for greatness, others see it as a burden where there are no winners, yet, for the sake of those they care for, they must fight and lead others to fight.

As far as tactics are concerned, it's a fine line I have to walk. I have to show the tactical decisions the fighters must make without getting so bogged down with details that the story doesn't progress. Thankfully I think I've nailed a solid medium.

TBH, I've been using the US numbers for BN, BDE etc. That's the numbers i am familiar with. And I think, judging on what Kishi did with his war, that he uses the same version as well. When i say a division I'm referring to 10 to 20 thousand. And Battalion is rougly 300 or more. It's hard to relay that information best to you guys. But try to envision these battels being between hundreds and, at times, thousands of ninja.

Equal screen time is important to me. This may be a fic about Naruto, but the story of Naruto is more than just about one character. I want to show the growth of everyone. Lol! Yeah, i don't find alot of InoxNeji fans. Mostly cuz I don't think they've ever spoken to eachother in the manga. but I think they'd make a great pair. And it's actually funny that you'd say that I should add a few more scenes with them. Very funny indeed.

Marking by bite? Sorry I don't think Sakura would be into that. Lol! I'm glad you liked the pacing of Naruto and Sakura's relationship. I know it was a bit tought for some of my less patient readers. But If I wanted this story to mirror Kishi's canon work, I couldn't rush things with them.

**Konoha's Crimson Fox** - Lol! i agree. Too bad you can't change you're name OM. I prefer this new one way more. Actually it's a major coincedence that you are using this name because...well...you'll see.

Lol! No Shikaku is safe...for now...hehehe. But you never know who may get killed off next. Glad you liked what I did with Shikamaru btw.

**iRamen** - You ramen? I ramen too! We should all ramen together! Glad you enjoyed the chapter.

**MusicBlueLover** - Glad you're enjoying the story and that you finally decided to sign up with . i hope this won't be the last time I hear from you.

**Ben Vilhaven** - Happy to see you're a fan. Hope you keep reading.

**LoveOfYourLife** - Sorry for the long wait. but it honestly wasn't my fault. My account was malfunctioning and I was unable to post my updates.

* * *

_MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR_

Before I introduce this chapter I'd like to take a moment to say something about the disaster taking place in the country of Japan. As you all know a Tsunami hit North East Japan. Not only were thousands killed or seriously injured but now the Nuclear plants in the area are in danger of meltdown. Many have been exposed to radiation and now some of that radiation is affecting farms and food in the area. **PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE**, if you are financially able, please donate anything you can to the relief effort. This country has brought us all high levels of entertainment like Naruto anime and manga. And now these proud people need your help. So please find a way to donate anything you can afford to any organization in your country that is providing aid. **REMEMBER** - These people were victims of a NATURAL DISASTER, which is something that could happen to any of us.

Also, the reason I didn't release a chapter in so long was because was was down for me. :(

I just wanted you guys to know that it wasn't my fault this time.

Anyway, here is chapter 29 of my story. **Please** feel free to leave a little **review** when you're done. Thanks.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter IXXX: Wrath of the Biju

_******Hidden Root Headquarters underneath Konoha******_

"What," Danzo yelled in disbelief. "What do you mean he's escaped? How could this even be possible! His shackles were made of chakra draining metal."

"We have reason to believe someone broke in and killed the guards and broke him free Lord Hokage," said a masked ninja who knelt before Danzo. "It looks like they were all victims of explosives. Except for the one guard placed at the door. Based on the remains it looks like he was….."

"He was what," Danzo asked impatiently.

"He was….eaten….My Lord," The ninja responded. "As of now, we have men looking for Kabumaru but we haven't picked up his trail yet."

Danzo swallowed hard and nervously wrung his hands. _Damn_, Danzo thought. _This was it. This was my one shot. There is no hope without Kabumaru's cells. Unless…..?_

"Lord Hokage," Fu said. "What is our next move? Do we return to the war room?"

"No," the Hokage said. "Those fools wage a hopeless war at this point. Madara will eventually release the Biju and the war will be over."

"Then what will we do," Fu asked.

Before Danzo could respond another masked ROOT ninja ran frantically towards them. He was clearly out of breath and his body was covered in fresh wounds and his robe was torn and tattered. "Lord Hokage," he said as he arrived and dropped to one knee. "We have an emergency my Lord. Akatsuki ninja have infiltrated our hidden entrance to the East. We've been holding them back but we will soon be overwhelmed."

"What," Danzo yelled. "Shit! How did he even know about that entrance?" Danzo took a deep breath as he tried to calm himself. "Alright," he said. "Fu, take some men and head to the library. I want you to retrieve all the scrolls regarding the Namikaze and bring them to me. We're leaving."

"Leaving," Fu asked. "With all due respect my Lord but the Treasure of the Namikaze is just a myth. We've been looking for anything that can lead us to it and all we've ever gotten is dead end after dead end."

"No Fu, it's real," Danzo said. "And this point it may be the only thing we have that can save this world!"

"And for this we will abandon our home," Fu asked.

"Not abandon Fu," Danzo said. "We leave only to gain the strength necessary to save it. Now go!"

"Yes my Lord," Fu said before he and several ninja ran off.

_******Meanwhile******_

"Get that gear loaded," Sakura yelled at one of the medics as she scrambled to help get one of her patients onto a mobile bed. "And get those patients ready to go! We need to move now!" Several explosions went off nearby accompanied by deep rumbling and load roars.

_Damn it_, Sakura thought. _We need to hurry. I know everyone is doing their best to fight those things but their definitely getting closer!_

"Sakura-chan," yelled a young boy who came running through the crowd. "Sakura-chan!"

Sakura turned to see it was the young boy who she had saved several weeks ago. "Ozuru," Sakura said. "What are you doing here? I sent you to the bunkers back in Konoha!"

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan but I can't just sit around and do nothing," Ozuru said. "I may not be a ninja but I can still help you!"

Sakura looked at the boy and who seemed to show no fear in his eyes. Despite the all the chaos around him she could see his resolve. What he didn't know was that Sakura had gone out of her way to hide him so that, when they were gathering children old enough to fight, he wouldn't be found. The boy was held in prison for god knows how long and was forced to watch his father die, he had been through enough. She wasn't about to let him die for a village that, if not for her, would have abandoned him.

"Ozuru," she said. "It's too dangerous here. Head back to the village!"

"But…." Ozuru said.

"Sakura Tai-cho," yelled a medic as she came running up. "Tai-cho we have a problem!" Another explosion rocked the area causing everyone to brace themselves.

"What is it now," Sakura asked as the thunderous sounds of the explosion died away.

"A large group of the Hyuga clan just arrived," the medic said. "Hinata Hyuga, her sister and her clan were attacked and sustained heavy damages. Hinata herself sustained many wounds including a clean stab through her chest and she's also suffering from failing eye sight!"

"Damn it," Sakura said. "Alright, I'll be right there! You go and continue over-seeing the evacuation! This place is no longer safe." Suddenly, just outside the camp a large ball of dense chakra crashed into the ground and exploded knocking everyone off their feet and crashing about.

As the dust settled everyone slowly began to get up. The entire area was in shambles. "Is everyone alright," Sakura asked. Thankfully the explosion was far enough away that all it did was knock everyone over.

Sakura heard someone moaning nearby and she saw one of the injured ninja laying on the floor. The blast had knocked him out of the bed and the bandages around his chest were quickly becoming soaked in blood. "Ozuru," Sakura said. "I don't really have time to find someone to help this man so if you want to help then come here."

Ozuru knelt beside Sakura as she quickly removed the man's bandages. "We need to stop the bleeding and fix his wound or he'll die," Sakura said. "Do you think you can handle this?" Ozuru nodded nervously but he didn't budge. Sakura couldn't help but smile at him before they got to work.

A few minutes later she and Ozuru were finished treating the man's wounds. Once she was satisfied that the man was stable Sakura got to her feet. "Good work Ozuru," she said. "You've got a knack for this. Ok, I want you to stay with him until someone comes to transport him and then you will travel with them."

"But..."Ozuru said.

"No buts," Sakura yelled. "You will do as I say, understand?" Ozuru nodded as Sakura ran off to check on Hinata and her clan.

Once she was gone Ozuru sat back and looked at the man. He was taking deep, shallow breaths, his eyes were wide and he shook slightly as he fought through the pain in his chest. Eventually he noticed Ozuru looking at him and he forced a smile. "Thank you for your help," he said weakly. "You're a good kid to want to help us like this. Everything will be ok."

Ozuru stared at the man in silence. As he looked at the man's face he could picture his father, smiling at him as the Akatsuki ninja took him away. "Ozuru," his father said. "It's ok Ozuru. Everything will be ok."

Those were the last words he ever heard his father speak. "You ok kid," the man asked.

A tear rolled down Ozuru's face as he looked at the man. "Yes sir," he said as he bowed. "Thank you."

_******Meanwhile – Office of the Hokage - Rooftop******_

"This can't be happening," Ino yelled as she stared out at the scene before her. Ten minutes ago things seemed to be getting better. The armies of both Sunagakure and Kumogakure had arrived and were able to put Akatsuki's forces back on their heels. Finally things were looking up.

Now Ino stood as she bared witness to hell coming to earth. To the east, west and north, four demons proceeded to wreak havoc on everything in its path. She recognized them from the history books she had read: The One Tailed Shukaku, The Four Tailed Monkey, The Five Tailed Dolphin Horse and Six Tailed Slug. "This is impossible," she said. "They can't be here! This isn't fair. H-how can we possibly fight off something like that?"

Ino could feel all strength leaving her as she felt on the verge of collapse. It was then she heard someone calling her. It was Naruto screaming her name, pulling her from her ever growing despair. "Ino," Naruto screamed as he remained seated. "Ino, I need you to focus right now!"

"W…what," Ino said as she finally looked at Naruto. "R…right! Right! Ok, Naruto what do you need!"

Just then the door to the roof crashed open and the two guards posted to watch Naruto quickly moved to guard him. They relaxed when they saw it was Neji. "Naruto," he yelled. "Do you see this!'

"Neji," Ino yelled as she ran into his arms. They hugged for a brief moment before Ino asked, "Why are you up here? You should be in bed!"

"Are you serious," Neji said. "Who could sleep with all this going on! Besides I can rest when this is all over." Neji paused when he looked at Naruto. His body was glowing with so much chakra that he could see it without his Byakugan. "What the…"

"Ino," Naruto yelled. "I need you here now!"

"Right," Ino said as she ran over. "What do you need me to do?"

"I need you to contact all of the division captains at the same time and put me in contact with them," Naruto said. "Can you do that?"

"I….I don't know," Ino said. "I only recently learned how to communicate telepathically with people outside my clan about a year ago. And I've never tried to contact so many at the same time."

"I know it will be difficult but I need you to do this," Naruto said calmly. 'That's why I wanted you here with me on the roof of the highest point in Konoha."

"You can do this Ino," Neji said. "I believe in you."

Ino smiled and nodded. "Alright," she said. "Let me contact them and then I'll connect them to you."

_******Meanwhile******_

Kurenai ducked behind a large boulder as the blast of pure chakra struck the ground sending the bodies of her comrades flying into the air. After the arrival of the Alliance forces she had convinced herself, for a brief moment, which they were going to survive this after all.

Then her world was thrown into a deeper abyss when, inexplicably the Five Tailed Dolphin Horse appeared half a mile away and proceed to destroy everything. Within moments it had destroyed part of the landscape and killed countless ninja. Now they were scrambling, just trying to stay alive and somehow find a way to bring that thing down.

"Kurenai-taicho," Tenten yelled as she ran through the destruction and knelt by her. "What do we do? Everything we're throwing at it doesn't work!" Just the creature bucked wildly, kicking away trees and Alliance ninja alike. Bodies were flying everywhere as everyone desperately fought back.

"Get all of the weapon users in formation," Kuranei yelled. "All we can do is hit that bastard with as much ammo as we've got!" Just then Kurenai heard screams coming from in the forest and another large force of Alliance ninja, along with Konoha's Second Division, led by Guy, came running out towards the beast.

"We need to hold that beast back long enough for the long range fighters to set up," Guy yelled as he sprinted towards the beast.

_******Meanwhile******_

The bodies of several ninja were launched in the air as the blast struck the ground. Konohamaru felt his blood run cold as he saw the dismembered body of a ninja land nearby. He then looked up to see that he was standing in the shadow of the large Four Tailed Monkey. "Konohamaru we have to keep hammering that thing," Shikaku yelled.

Konohamaru took a deep breath and created as large a rasengan as he could. It was the size of a soccer ball and he ran at the beast. "Rasengan," he yelled as he slammed it into the creatures' leg. The Four Tails roared in pain and then looked down and saw Konohamaru.

The beast swung one of its tails towards him. "Look out," a ninja yelled as everyone scattered. The tail crashed into the ground throwing people everywhere. Again the beast roared and then fired a blast of molten lava from its mouth striking several dozen Alliance ninja, killing them instantly.

_******Meanwhile******_

The Six Tailed slug spat a massive blast of corrosive acid that landed on several ninja who all screamed as they died in agonizing pain. The smell of melting flesh was high in the air as Yamato and his Division as well as The Raikage and his army fought to defeat the beast.

"You're name is Yamato right," The Raikage asked as the used several boulders for cover. "I can see you're a Wood Jutsu user. Can you create something large enough to hold that fucking thing?"

"Yes," Yamato said. "But I doubt it'll hold for more than a minute."

"That's all I need," The Raikage said. "Alright men! Time to take the fight to that beast! Let's move out!"

The Raikage, Omoi and Karui were at the head of an army of Kumo ninja as they sprinted at the Biju from all sides. Yamato created several hand signs and then large columns of wood sprouted from the ground all around the slug and intertwined itself around it. The Biju began to roar as it tried to pull itself free. Yamato remained in his pose as he struggled to keep the Biju immobilized, but he could see that the wood was sizzling and slowly burning away. _Damn_, Yamato thought. _That slimy stuff all over its skin must be corrosive. _"Raikage-sama," Yamato yelled. "Whatever you're planning you better hurry up! I can't hold him for long!"

"You heard him," The Raikage yelled. "Hit him with everything you've got!" Darui released his Black Panther Lightning Jutsu while Karui and Omoi each released thin blasts of lightning from their swords as they made slashing motions towards the beast.

The Biju roared as it was struck by barrage after barrage of jutsu and explosive arrows and kunai until it was covered in a thick smoke. The Raikage raised his hand, signaling everyone to stop as he waited to see if they had defeated the creature.

As the smoke began to clear everyone could see the Biju's silhouette in the smoke and the Raikage raised his hand, prepared to order his men to continue the attack. But as the last of the smoke cleared away were shocked to see that the Slug had created a large ball of slime covered chakra and the creature quickly fired it at them.

"Everyone get down," the Raikage screamed just as the blast struck engulfing everyone in light.

_******Meanwhile******_

Gaara knelt beside one of his men and felt for a pulse. _Nothing_, he thought as he took a deep sigh and stood up. He looked around and saw the bodies of not only his own ninja, but that of Konoha as well scattered about. Some appeared as though every bone in their bodies had been broken; others were twisted in horrible, inhuman ways. And more still were missing limbs and in some cases entire halves of their bodies.

"What a terrible power," Gaara said as he listened to the sounds of his and Konoha's ninja fighting desperately to fight off that creature. It was a creature that tormented him for years. From his earliest memories as a child he could hear its whisper in the darkest recesses of his mind. He heard its mocking laughter and during his restless nights he could see its evil grin. It tormented his dreams until he could no longer sleep. "Kill them," it would say. "Hurt them. They hate you. They fear you. They make you feel pain. Make them pay."

For years that voice was the only companion he had until he found another way. Until the day Naruto showed him that he had a choice. So he chose to be better. He chose to make and cherish bonds. And most importantly, he chose to never allow this creature the chance to hurt anyone any more as long as he breathed. It was an oath Gaara of the Sand swore to keep even if it costs him his life.

"Everyone fall back," Gaara screamed to everyone in ear shot. "I said fall back to a safe distance!"

Temari, Kankuro and the rest of the Allied forces began to fall back. Temari and Kankuro ran up to Gaara and Kankuro asked, "What's wrong Gaara! We're not giving up are we?'

"No but its obvious you're not putting a dent into him," Gaara said. "This fight has to be mine and mine alone."

Kankuro and Temari were shocked. "Are you insane Gaara," Temari yelled. "Not even you are strong enough to defeat that thing alone!'

"Yeah Gaara," Kankuro said. "I know you feel responsible some what but that would be suicide! We need to work together!"

"No," Gaara said. "I once made a vow that I would never let that creature harm another comrade. I will keep my vow. Now I want you both to lead my army away from here."

"Gaara," Kankuro said.

"This is not a request," Gaara suddenly erupted. "I am ordering you both to lead your comrades to safety!"

"Right," Kanakuro said hesitantly. "We'll clear the area and wait for your return. Come on Temari."

"What," Temari yelled in disbelief. "You two can't be serious!"

"Temari," Kankuro yelled.

"No Kankuro, I won't be silent," Temari responded. "I'm not going to let my little brother throw away his life! And I will not leave his side! If you fight, then I fight!"

"Temari," Gaara said solemnly. "I can't fight at my best if you are by my side. And I can't fight if I'm worried about the safety of my people. I need you to guide them."

Temari looked at her brother for a moment and tears began to well in her eyes. "If you stay here alone you're going to die," she said.

To her surprise Gaara smiled. "I am the Kazekage of the Sand. If I have to die to protect my people then I will do so happily. But I guarantee you this. Not one more of my comrades or family will die because of that creature. I promise you this. Not…one….more."

Temari hugged Gaara for a moment that threw him off for a minute. It was then Gaara realized that after all these years he doesn't remember Temari ever hugging him. She really wasn't the type to show that kind of emotion.

Once she let go Temari said, "We'll see you soon little brother."

"Right," Gaara said as his brother and sister reluctantly walked away. A moment later Gaara called out. "Temari," he said causing Temari and Kankuro to look back at him. "In case the worst does in fact happen I want you to act as Kazekage until one is voted for by the people."

Temari stared at Gaara for a moment and then looked to Kankuro who nodded to her. "Right," she said. "I understand." The two siblings then turned and signaled for everyone to fall back.

Gaara stood quietly until he was sure his people were far enough away. The entire time there was nothing but silence as it seemed the demon had departed. Satisfied that he was alone Gaara took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Sand slowly began to flow out of the gourd on his back and dropped to his ground and formed a platform under his feet. It then slowly began to rise taking him higher and higher into the sky until he was floating above the trees.

Gaara opened his eyes and standing before him was the large creature with yellow, menacing eyes. "Hello Shukaku," Gaara said.

Shukaku glared down at Gaara and then roared as loudly as it could before it raised its large paw and swung at Gaara. More sand slowly flowed out of Gaara's gourd and took the shape of a spear and a shield and Gaara then took off towards Shukaku.

******Meanwhile******

Shikaku's body was blown back from the force of the explosion and landed hard on the ground. He moaned as he grabbed his head and fought through the pain that wracked his body. As he regained his focus he watched as the remained of the Alliance forces fought desperately to defeat the Four Tailed Monkey. _There's no way_, he thought. _There's just no way we can defeat that thing. _

Reluctantly he knew what he had to do. "Fall back," he began to yell. "We need to fall back and regroup!" Just then he heard a familiar voice come to him as if from nowhere.

"Shikaku Tai-cho," Ino said. "Can you hear me?"

Shikaku looked about but saw no sign of Ino. "Ino," he asked. "Is that you?"

"Yes Tai-cho," Ino responded. "I'm talking to you telepathically. I've also connected you with the other Captains as well."

"Is that true," Shikaku asked.

"Yes I'm here," Yamato said.

"Me too," Kurenai answered.

"I'm here as well," Guy said.

"As am I," Ao said.

"Ok," Shikaku said. "What do you want?"

"It's not me," Ino said. "It's Naruto who wants to speak to you."

Naruto stood in front of Ino as she placed her fingers on his forehead. "Alright Naruto," she said. "You're connected."

"_Hey guys it's me," Naruto said. " I need you guys to hold the Biju as long as you can until I can put my plan into motion."_

"_Plan," Kurenai asked. "What plan?"_

"_First off, do you all still have those special kunai I gave you," Naruto asked to which they all said yes. "Ok, I have a new jutsu that I think can stop the Biju," Naruto said. "But I need you all to hold them for about five minutes as I put it together. Then, when I give you the signal I need you to throw those kunai as close to the Biju as possible. I'll take it from there."_

"_You'll take it from there," Sakura yelled. "What the hell do you mean you'll take it from there!"_

_Naruto opened his eyes in shock. "S…Sakura," he said nervously. "You're connected in this conversation too?"_

"_Of course I am you idiot," Sakura yelled. "Now what do you mean you'll take care of things from there? You promised not to do anything reckless!"_

Naruto looked at Ino and said, "Why did you connect Sakura with us?"

"You said to connect you with the captains in the field," Ino said as she shrugged. "Sakura is a captain."

"Damn," Naruto said. _"Ok, Sakura I need you to trust me on this one ok."_

"_No way Naruto," Sakura yelled. "You need to stay in the village. We need to keep you safe!"_

"_No where will be safe if we don't stop those Biju," Naruto yelled. _

"_We can find a way," Sakura yelled._

"_And how many more people will die until you do," Naruto responded. "No Sakura, I need to handle this myself." _

"_We have one problem Naruto," Shikaku said. "Gaara and his army was separated from us. They're fighting the One Tail alone and he doesn't have one of your kunai."_

"_Don't worry," Guy sansei said haughtily. "I'll get to him. I'm faster than any of you!"_

"_Right," Naruto said. "We're counting on you Guy-sensei."_

"_Wait a minute Naruto," Sakura yelled. "We're not done here….!_

Before Sakura could continue Naruto walked away from Ino, severing his connection with the others. "Ino, can you remain in contact with them for the next few minutes?"

"I'll try Naruto," Ino said. "It takes a massive amount of chakra to do this."

Ino then felt someone's hand on her shoulder. It was Neji who didn't even look at her. "Don't worry Naruto," he said. "Ino can do it." Ino smiled and looked at Naruto and nodded.

Naruto quickly bit his left thumb and rubbed the blood on his right palm and placed in on the ground. A small bit of smoke appeared and as the smoke cleared they saw Shima sitting there.

"Naruto-boy," she said. "I guess since you've summoned me then it's time?"

"Yes Granny Toad," Naruto said as he quickly removed the large scroll from his back and placed it on the ground.

Shima jumped up and unrolled he scroll and said, "I hope you know what you're doing boy."

"When do I ever," Naruto said as he sat down. "I need you to summon back four of the clones I left at Mt. Myoboku.

"Right," Shima said as she placed her hand on the summoning scroll and then four puffs of smoke appeared. Out of each one there stood a clone of Naruto, each glowing with sage chakra. "Ok," Shima said. "Now remember, you only have four others left."

"Alright," Naruto said to the clones, "You know what to do." Each clone began to create a rasengan and began to pour as much sage chakra into them as possible. _"Alright you Fox," Naruto said to the Nine Tails. "You know what to do. Give me as much power as you can."_

Naruto himself began to glow bright red, forcing Ino, Neji and the guards to shade their eyes. To their amazement Naruto became covered in a red shroud with seven tails.

Naruto suddenly began to push that chakra into his clones that they each took that chakra and put it into their rasengan's. _Sorry Sakura_, Naruto thought as he pushed more and more chakra out. _But if I told you what my plan was, you'd never let me do it. _

_******Meanwhile******_

Yamato dispelled the wood dome that he created over himself and everyone nearby, including The Raikage and his forces. The entire surrounding area was scorched and burned away from the acid the Slug had spat out. The Slug itself was still trapped by the wood columns Yamato had wrapped it in but it was quickly breaking.

"All right," The Raikage yelled. "You heard Yamato! We need to hold that thing for as long as we can! Failure is not an option!" All the ninja sprinted at the slug and began to hammer it with every long distance weapon and ninjutsu in their arsenal.

The Slug roared in anger and pain and finally broke through its bonds and swung its tails about, thrashing into trees and rocks. The ground shook every time a tail struck the ground. The Raikage suddenly sprinted out in front of everyone towards the beast. "Lord Raikage don't," Darui yelled. "That things body is covered in the same acid that it spits out!"

But it was too late, the Raikage, covered in his lightning armor, reared back and punched the Biju with all the might he could muster forcing it back and down to the ground. Everyone stood around in stunned silence. "What the hell are you all standing around for," The Raikage yelled. "Keep attacking unless you want to die!" Everyone roared and began to hit the Biju with everything they could.

The Raikage looked at his fist and grimaced. He could see burn marks on his fingers and knuckles. _Hmmm_, he thought. _Even with my armor its corrosive slime could get through. _Just then the beast roared and began to get up. The Raikage could see his men backing up and he yelled, "Do not fall back! Do not show fear! We must continue to attack!"

Again the Raikage sprinted at the beast with blinding speed. The Biju spat more acid out striking several ninja, melting them away. The Raikage dodged the Biju's attack as Darui and Yamato appeared next to him. "I need you to draw its attention," the Raikage yelled.

"Right," Darui said. "Sorry." Yamato made several hand signs and several large, sharp edged wood columns shot out of the ground and punctured the Biju, holding it in place. The Biju roared in pain.

Darui then made several hand signs and said, "Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!" Darui then spat out a massive volume of water from his mouth that crashed into the beast and as the water died down Darui followed it up with his Black Panther Lightning Release that struck the Biju and the water it was standing in.

The Biju roared in a high pitched, almost whining screams as it was being electrocuted. Then out of no where, the Raikage appeared and punched the creature in the face, knocking it over. The Raikage winced in pain as he felt the skin on his fist sizzle.

The Slug remained motionless on the ground and the hundreds of Alliance ninja began to cheer. The Raikage began to walk away when the beast suddenly opened its eyes and glared at the Raikage as he walked away from it. The Slug suddenly spat a ball of acid at the Raikage. "Watch out!," Yamato yelled as he leapt to push the Raikage clear.

_******Meanwhile******_

Guy sprinted through the forest as he headed towards Gaara and the One Tail. _I have less than five minutes to get there_, he thought. _I need to go all out. _Guy suddenly began to run even faster as seemed like a green blur moving towards his destination. _I'm on my way Gaara_, Guy thought. _I just hope you can hold out until then._

_******Meanwhile******_

Gaara gasped for air as he remained on one knee. The Armor of Sand that covered his body was cracked and broken and was falling away in clumps. His Spear and Shield were broken and lay in clumps of sand next to him and his gourd began to break away into sand and fall to the ground.

Above him was Shukaku glaring down at him. "Hahahaha," Shukaku laughed. "Boy! I've been waiting for this! Do you fear me! Wahahahaha! I'm gonna kill you good!"

"For years you tormented me in my dreams and my waking mind," Gaara said as he slowly got to his feet. All the piles of surrounding sand began to combine and swirl up his body completely covering him up to his waist. "But I stopped being scared of you very long time ago ago," Gaara said. "You have been a blight upon the human world long enough. It ends here."

Gaara began to rise into the sky as a large wall of sand rose underneath him until he came face to face with Shukaku and said, "I am Gaara, Kazekage of the Sand. And I will personally send you back to hell where you belong."

End of Chapter Twenty Nine

Next Time: Namikaze Naruto: Konoha's Crimson Tornado

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_"...For they may act thier dream with open eyes to make it possible..."_

_The Curse_...is coming.


	30. Namikaze Naruto:Konoha's Crimson Tornado

_INTRODUCTION_

Welcome back to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I like to begin by stating I do not own Naruto.

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_THANK YOU_

A special thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: xDARKNESS; Codegeasslulu; BlueEyedBabyy; Exor; airnaruto45; Mudcake; Kushina's Truth of Hell; XxMusicBlueLoverxX; Diamond Man; MyHikari; Cloud Ex-SOLDIER; charles-cdv; ZeroTail29; Corruptchaos; Konoha's Crimson Fox & Sazan.

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_RESPONCES_

**xDARKNESS** - You know I love my cliffhangers dude. lol! You want more Naruto screen time? Well, I love to give the people what they want!

**Codegeasslulu** - Glad you're enjoying the story so far. Naruto's plan comes to light in this chapter. So enjoy.

**BlueEyedBabyy** - Glad you like the story. Will Naruto die? Hmmm...who knows.

**Exor** - Sorry about that. but the site kept malfunctioning. And last week was another problem.

**airnaruto45** - Danzo's role in this story is coming to a close soon.

**Mudcake** - Thanx.

**Kushina's** - Lol. I know you didn't mean that litterallymy dear. No worries. Glad you enjoyed the chapter and Sakura's portrayal. Look to get more Sakura in the coming chapters.

**MusicBlueLove**r - Gald you like that chapter. Danzo's time is fast approaching and you will see Naruto's plan play out in this chapter.

**Diamond Man** - I really wanted to highlight the Biju that haven't been portrayed yet in the canon story. That allowed me to play around with what I would think thier powers would be and how the Alliance would counter it. Naruto indeed has decided to handle things himself. I hope the method I choose plays out well.

**MyHikar**i - lol! Looks like you're excited! Good. i hopoe I can keep you that way! Wait...That sounds kinda pervy doesn't it. Lol!

**Cloud Ex-SOLDIER** - I agree with you on Gaara. Believe it or not I had more of the Gaara vs One Tail fight but edited it out because I was just unsatisfied with what wrote. So I decided less was more in that case. You know, when it comes to summoning I decided to limit that just a bit. In comics and manga it's easy to relate such things but I found (at least for me) it's harder to do so without visuals. That said, if you look at Kishi's work, summoning is extremely rare and kept to only the most exceptional of ninja.

With Ino I wanted to show her progression that falls in line with her ablities. Improving her telepathy seemed like a "duh" situation. But like all the other members of K11 I didn't want her improvement to be so drastic that it seemed unbelievable. Glad you liked the little moment between Naruto and Sakura. It's important to me to continuously show that even apart they are still together. :)

**charles cdv** - thanx.

**ZeroTail29** - Thanx.

**Corruptchaos** - Thanx

**Konoha's Crimson Fox** - Lol! Just a co-incedence my friend. Glad you're enjoying the story.

**Sazan** - Glad you're enjoying the story. I'm always eager to read reviews from first time reviewers of my story. I'm glad you apperiacte my efforts to keep things balanced. It's not easy as I find that I have to always be aware of maintaining the story and keeping things moving while not over detailing things. I'm not a professional writer but more like an aspiring professional. And one of the reason's I chose to do this fic was to help work and improve on my skills. Which is why I value reviews (even the critical ones) highly. Thanks and I hope you review more.

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_MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR_

So two weeks ago I explained that my FF account was down and couldn't upload my new chapter and then went on to say I expected things to get back on track. Then what happens? My account malfunctions again last week and I can't log in for four days! Which of course leads me to miss another week. Lol! It's like someone wants to keep me from uploading. Anyway, here is chapter 30. And yes, I notice that i have Chapter **XXX **down there. Lol. As always **please** leave a **review** once you're down reading. Thanks.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XXX: Namikaze Naruto: Konoha's Crimson Tornado

"Come on we need to hurry," Danzo said to the half dozen ROOT ninja walking behind him as they moved through the dimly lit tunnel. Per his instructions, Fu had collected all the information pertaining to the Namikaze clan and, along with Danzo's strongest and most trusted subordinates, followed Danzo as they made their way through the hidden escape ROOT had built for Danzo.

The tunnel was dug underneath the Office of the Hokage and extended under the village and past the Hokage monument to the other side of the mountain. All told it was about two miles long. After about 20 minutes they could see light at the end of the tunnel which would take them to the other side of the mountain. Danzo couldn't help but smile to himself. Once again he was able to stay one step ahead of everyone else.

As Danzo and his guards stepped out of the tunnel Danzo stopped and took a deep breath of the fresh, clean air. The sun was shining down upon him and the surrounding forest was lush and green. It was hard to believe that but a few miles away, hell was being unleashed.

But that wasn't his concern. Danzo's only concern was escape and buying time to unlock the secrets hidden in the scrolls being held by the ninja behind. With them he could find what he knew would be a power great enough to defeat Madara and secure his position as leader of the ninja world.

Just as Danzo took his first step he heard a deep mocking laugh that echoed throughout the area. "Well, well," the person said. "It seems the rats are finally scurrying from their hole as the ship sinks." Instantly the ninja behind Danzo went into a defensive position and surrounded their leader. "Lord Hokage…" Fu said.

"It's alright Fu," Danzo said as he uncovered his bandaged right eye revealing his Sharingan. Looking up in the trees Danzo began to scan the area. "One. Two. Three. Four. Five," he said as he saw the chakra of his assailants. It was then a sixth and familiar chakra appeared. "So," Danzo said as he reached for the gauntlet on his right arm. "You chose to face me already. I knew you would come after me eventually. But I assumed you would at least take some time to recoup your strength."

The person dropped from the trees and stood perfectly still and stared at Danzo with a sick smile plastered on his face. The ROOT ninja all seemed unsettled by the man who didn't even blink and stood so still he seemed like a statue. "You shouldn't have come here Kabumaru," Danzo said. "However, it does save me the time of having to hunt you down."

Just then the five other ninja Danzo had sensed revealed themselves in the trees above Kabumaru. Each one wore the cloak and mask typical of an ANBU ninja. "Lord Hokage….,"one of Danzo's guards said.

"Yes I know," Danzo said as he removed the first pin from his gauntlet. "It appears we are in the presence of the ones who helped rescue him. Fu, I want you and the men to cover me. I'm going to release the seal on my right arm."

As Danzo began to remove the gauntlet Kabumaru smiled even more.

_******Meanwhile******_

Naruto remained seated and locked in deep concentration as he focused on taking all the chakra the Nine Tails was giving him and pouring it into the clones without them getting so overwhelmed that they dispersed. Simultaneously, the clones took all the chakra they were receiving from Naruto, as well as all the Sage Chakra they had absorbed, and worked on pouring it into the Rasengan they each created.

Neji stood transfixed as he stared at the ever growing, transparent, red shroud that covered Naruto. It was clearly taking the shape of the Biju within him and there were seven tails slowly wagging about.

"Naruto," Ino said, as she fought to maintain her connection with all the Captains in the field. "You need to hurry! Those Biju are ripping through everything! I don't know how long everyone will be able to last out there!"

"I know Ino," Naruto said. "I know!"

_******Meanwhile******_

The Five Tailed Dolphin Horse roared wildly and kicked up more earth as it stomped about. Suddenly four large scrolls began to rise high into the air on each side of the Biju. _Take this you bastard_, she thought. _My best technique: Dragons Breath!_

Thousands upon thousands of kunai launched from her scrolls and embedded themselves into the Biju, covering it from head to foot. Then the scrolls began wrapping themselves around the creature to prevent it from moving. The scrolls began to tear under the strain when TenTen released the technique. The scrolls began to glow before they exploded, triggering the kunai and everyone watched as the beast was consumed in a tower of flames that shot up to the heavens.

"Excellent work Tenten," Kurenai said as she stood nearby. Hana and the rest of the hundreds of ninja cheered as it seemed they were able to finally defeat the creature when, out of the flames the dolphin horse emerged. It was badly burnt but still seemed strong and it opened its mouth and shot a ball of water energized with chakra.

"Look out," Hana yelled as everyone tried to leap clear. Broken bodies were thrown about by the resulting explosion leaving everyone scattered and disoriented. Tenten groaned as she fought her way back to consciousness. Her head pounded and when she touched it she could feel the blood that was dripping into her eye. Her vision blurred, she looked around and saw that nearly everyone was down. As she looked up she saw the Dolphin Horse towering above them all, preparing to attack when dozens of flower petals began to swirl about the Biju's face annoying it and forcing it back.

"Over here," Kurenai yelled to the Biju. "Come and get me!" The Dolphin Horse reared up and raced towards her. The Biju opened its mouth and released a powerful jet stream of water towards her but Kurenai turned her body into petals and faded away, only to reform some distance away.

The Biju pulled to a complete stop and then galloped towards her and spat another blast of water. Again she transformed and disappeared, reforming some distance away. _This is all I can do right now_, Kurenai thought. _"Ino," she said. "You better tell Naruto to hurry up. I can't keep this game up for long."_

_******Meanwhile******_

Konohamaru lay on the floor struggling to push himself up. He could feel the sharp pain in his chest. Several of his ribs were broken. And he fought to push further he began to cough and spat up blood. All around him, his brother and sister ninja of Konoha as well as the ninja of the Allied Suna and Kumo continued to fight the losing battle against the Four Tailed Monkey.

He could hear Shikaku Tai-cho over the noise, screaming orders and spurring them on to keep fighting. "Five minutes," Shikaku yelled. "We just need to hold for five minutes!"

_Five minutes_, Konohamaru thought. _You might as well ask for five hours. There's no way we can last….Wait. No! What am I thinking! We have to hold. Naruto-niichan wouldn't give up! He's never given up! I can't either! I am the grandson of the Third Hokage and pupil of Ebisu-sensei! I'll never be able to face them if I die without giving my all!_

Konohamaru gritted his teeth as he fought through the stabbing pain and got to his knees. He looked up to see the Biju as it continued its rampage. _I hope I can pull this technique off_, he thought. _I haven't exactly mastered it. But if I'm going to fight a damned monkey, then I'm going to need a monkey._ Konohamaru wiped his palm in the blood he had coughed up, made several hand signs and then slammed his open hand on the ground.

Meanwhile Shikaku continued to scream orders to the men. "Keep hitting it with everything you've got," Shikaku yelled. "We just need three more minutes!" Just then the Monkey leapt into the air and landed in a clump of trees flattening them, He then swung his arm, knocking away several ninja into the air and then prepared to fire a blast of lava. "Look out," Shikaku yelled.

But, to everyone's surprise the Monkey screamed in pain and recoiled as one of its four tails was slashed almost cleanly through.

Behind the beast stood a clearly exhausted Konohamaru. He was clutching his chest and taking deep measured breaths. In his hand he held a black and gold staff. _"Do you think you're up for this boy," the staff said. _

Konohamaru laughed. "Of coarse Enma-sama," he said. "In fact, I'm just getting started."

"Good," Enma responded. "But we need to finish this quickly. I'm old boy. We can't let this drag out!"

Konohamaru suddenly felt Enma's chakra flowing into him and he began to feel stronger. "Don't worry Enma-sama," he said. Konohamaru leapt at the Biju as it turned to face him. It swung its mighty paw at him but he was able to move out of the way. Konohamaru swung Enma down and sliced into the beasts arm and again into his chest.

The Biju screamed in pain and anger as Konohamaru landed on the ground under it. The Biju then threw a punch at Konohamaru who disappeared in a puff of smoke. "A shadow clone," Shikaku said as he looked on amazed.

Above the beast was Konohamaru, leaping down at it with an impossibly large, glowing ball of energy. "What the hell is that," one ninja yelled.

"That looks like Naruto's Rasengan," Shikaku yelled. "But I've only ever seen Naruto create one that big!"

_With Lord Enma's chakra mixed with mine I can make a Rasengan almost as strong as Naruto-niichan_, Konohamaru thought. _I just hope it's enough. _"Monkey Summon Rasengan," Konohamaru yelled as the he slammed the great ball of energy into the face of the beast. The light from the explosion blinded all the onlookers as the Biju was pitched back and crashed to the ground and lay still in a cloud of smoke.

Konohamaru stood near the beast, gasping for air and barely able to stand. He suddenly felt weak and was about to fall when Enma transformed back into his monkey form and caught him. "You did well boy," he said. "But I expect nothing less from Hiruzen's Grandson."

"Thank you Enma-sama," Konohamaru said with a smile. Just then, much to their surprise the monster moved, slamming its hand on the ground as it braced itself to get up.

_******Meanwhile******_

Temari stood alongside Shikamaru, Kankuro and the rest of the Suna army as they looked off into the distance where there were small explosions and the sounds of battle. Everyone was clearly on edge as they waited in nervous silence.

"Do you really think Lord Kazekage can defeat the One Tails on his own," one ninja whispered to another.

"To be honest," the ninja answered solemnly, "I don't know. No one has ever faced Shukaku alone and won. Even the Fourth Kazekage needed help."

"Hey you morons," Temari yelled. "My brother isn't some weakling! He's the Fifth Kazekage of the Sand! No one and nothing can beat him do you understand! I want all of you to remember that!" The two ninjas snapped to attention and remained silent. Temari turned back around and looked off in the distance. It was then she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. It was Shikamaru, who smiled at her.

Out of the nearby bushes someone came running out causing everyone to defend themselves. They all quickly recognized the person and calmed down. "What the hell are you all standing about for," Guy said as he ran up to Temari and Shikamaru.

"Hello Guy-sensei," Shikamaru said.

"Shikamaru, it's good to see you're alright," Guy responded. "But what's going on here? Why aren't you fighting the Biju?"

"My brother insisted on facing it alone," Kankuro said.

"I see," Guy answered as he looked towards the distance where he could here the sounds of their fight. "Well, it seems his fight will be short lived. Naruto has a plan and I need to get there now."

"He has a plan," Shikamaru asked.

"Yes," Guy said as he turned and sprinted away. "And I have to get to the One Tail in less than two minutes!"

_******Meanwhile******_

"Naruto," Ino said as she fought to maintain her connection with everyone. "You need to hurry! Things aren't looking good for everyone! Guy is almost at the One Tail! But Kurenai's forces have been all but decimated! Shikaku isn't fairing much better! And I've lost contact with Yamato! He could be….!"

"Yamato is alive," Naruto said. "Barely, but he's alive. But I need just a few more minutes! This technique won't work if I use it before it's really ready!"

_******Meanwhile******_

"_Yamato-taicho," came the female voice. "Taicho, can you hear me? Taicho, please answer!" _Yamato groaned as he slowly opened his eyes finding himself face down on the ground. The light from the sun was blinding and his body ached.

_Where am I_, Yamato thought as he slowly tried to find his bearings. There was smoke and dust and dirt all around. He could see fallen bodies scattered about. Quickly the memories began to flood back. He remembered the Raikage delivering a mighty blow to the Six Tailed Slug knocking it down and defeating it. Or so they arrogantly believed. The Biju rose again and spat its corrosive acid at the Raikage.

Instinctively, Yamato leapt to knock The Raikage out of the way. The last thing he remembered after was pain. So much so that he passed out from the shock of it. Again Yamato groaned and he could see the Raikage laying a few feet away. He was just now regaining consciousness.

Yamato tried to stand and he felt sharp pains throughout his body. He also felt something else. Something was wrong with his left leg. When Yamato looked down he gasped as tears welled in his eyes. His left leg was gone. In its place was a pile of green and pink puss that extended up to his upper thigh. It was then he knew what that pain he had felt earlier was. The acid from the Biju had hit him. His left leg was lost.

Yamato looked away and closed his eyes. He gritted his teeth and slammed his fist on the ground and yelled, "Damn it! Damn it!"

It was then he heard Ino's voice_. "Tai-cho," Ino said. "Are you still there?"_

"_Y….yes…..yes, Ino I'm here," Yamato said as he fought to compose himself. _

"_Whew," Ino said. "Naruto is almost ready to use his technique. Are you in position?"_

_Yamato looked up and saw the Biju had moved away from them and was fighting the last remnants of the Alliance forces. "I'm close," Yamato said. "But I've been badly injured."_

"_Tai-cho, can you complete the task," Ino asked desperately._

"_Y…yes….I'll find a way," Yamato said. _He then reached in his back pouch to retrieve the special kunai blade only to find it missing. Desperately Yamato looked around and saw it on the floor a few feet away. Still unable to stand Yamato began to drag himself over to it and then reached for it. Just as his fingers touched the hilt someone's foot landed on the kunai.

Yamato looked up and was surprised to see the person standing over him. Yamato said, "You! What are you doing here! You're supposed to be in hiding."

Anko reached down and picked up the kunai and looked it over. She then looked at Yamato and said, "You didn't really think I'd sit this out did you? I was just waiting for the opportune moment. But I should get you to safety first."

"No," Yamato said. "There's no time for that. Listen Anko, there is something I need you to do."

_******Meanwhile******_

Konohamaru turned and tried to run as the great beast got to its feet, but he felt all strength leave him and fell to his knees. "Konohamaru," Enma yelled. "We need to get clear!"

"Sorry….Enma-sama," Konohamaru said as he dripped sweat and gasped for air. "But….I've no strength left."

Enma lifted Konohamaru on his shoulders and prepared to run just as the Biju's giant paw hurtled towards them. Before the giant fist could strike it was suddenly circled by several dozen pieces of floating paper that exploded, causing the Biju to recoil and scream in pain.

Enma and Konohamaru turned and saw Konan and her army standing behind them. "Go," Konan said and her men moved out, sprinting at the Biju and attacking it without hesitation.

"Lady Arashikage," Konohamru said. "Thank you for the help." Konan nodded as she walked by.

Just then Shikaku ran up and said, "It's about time you got here Lady Konan. Where have you been? Is this how you help your allies?"

Konan looked at him coldly and said, "Is this how you treat those who save your allies?"

Shikaku paused realizing his error. "Pardon me," Shikaku replied. "Things have been difficult."

"Never mind that," Konan replied. "Get you're men clear. I wanted to save this technique for when I faced Madara. But it appears I have little choice now."

Everyone looked up to see the sky moving about abnormally. It was at that moment that Shikaku noticed that there were no birds in the sky and none of the clouds were moving. "Wait," Shikaku said. "That's not the sky?"

"No," Konan replied. "It is my Paper Messenger of God technique. I created billions of pieces of my explosive paper and made it recreate the sky. In reality we are standing under a dome of paper."

It was then that all of Konan's army cleared away and a wave of paper swarmed down upon the Biju, exploding on contact. Everyone took cover and covered their ears to shield themselves from the continuous explosions.

_******Meanwhile******_

"So that's Naruto's plan huh," Anko said as she knelt next to Yamato and continued to examine the special kunai. "Ha! Who knew such a hopeless kid would grow up to be such a badass. To think he learned that technique. Alright then, I guess I have no choice but to do this for you. But once this is done I'll be back to help you."

"Right," Yamato said. "I'll let you know when to throw it."

Anko stood up and glared at the large Biju as it continued it's rampage some one hundred yards away. She quickly put the ear piece Yamato gave her into her ear and grinned. "This is gonna be fun I think." Anko took off in a dead sprint towards the Biju. She deftly ran around and leapt over any debris or fallen bodies in her way.

Nearly half way to her target Anko bit her thumb and wiped the blood on her palm. Just then the Biju noticed her and spat a blast of corrosive acid at her. Anko leapt and flipped over the attack and as she landed, she slammed her hand on the ground that created a puff of smoke. As the smoke cleared she was now standing on the head of her giant snake as it moved towards the slug.

Again the Biju spat its acid and the large snake was hit in the body and it instantly began to burn away. Anko leapt from the snake and raised her arms and several hundred smaller snakes shot out from her sleeves. The snakes opened their mouths and small swords came out and they all stabbed the beast in the body.

The acid that covered the beast began to drip down and burn away the snakes and the Biju tried to punch Anko. But Anko leapt clear causing the beast to strike the ground, cracking it and causing rocks to fly everywhere.

Anko smiled. "Alright you ugly fuck," said as black flames covered her body before her skin turned grey. Her hair grew long to her feet. "Bring it!" Anko took off with a speed that could barely be tracked as she pulled two kunai out and began slicing the Biju at its knees, legs, chest and arms. She was moving so fast that the acid that covered its body could barely affect her.

Anko ran up the Biju's back and leapt high into the sky once she reached its head. Anko spun in the air and threw the two kunai at the beast. And as it buried into its head Anko smiled. She was holding two thin strings in her hand that extended back to the kunai. Making several hand signs Anko breathed a large blast of flame that ran down the strings and consumed the Biju in flames.

Anko landed on the ground and grinned. "Oh yeah," Anko said. "I'm so glad I'm not missing this!"

_******Meanwhile******_

Guy sprinted down the path in the forest as he headed towards Gaara. The sounds of battle became louder and louder with each step and all around he could see destruction everywhere. Trees were broken, splintered and upended. There were craters, both large and small, everywhere. As he finally made the clearing he came to a stop and looked up to see Shukaku towering above.

And standing on a floating platform of sand was Gaara. Both his arms were covered in sand and took the form of giant fists and he was using them to strike Shukaku over and over. Gaara punched Shukaku in the face and forced him back and Shukaku opened his mouth and shot a blast of concentrated wind at him. Gaara manipulated the sand surrounding his arms to create a large shield just as the blast struck and launched him back to the ground.

Guy quickly sprinted to where Gaara was just as he was slowly getting to his feet. "Gaara," Guy yelled as he ran up.

Gaara looked back at Guy with indifference and then looked back to Shukaku. "I thought I informed my sister not to let anyone come here," Gaara said. "I plan to handle this alone."

"There's no time to let you do that," Guy said. "We have a plan and I'm here to put it into motion right now!"

Gaara glared at Shukaku as it slowly began to walk towards him. "Fine," he said. "What do you need me to do?"

"Just hold him until I can get close enough to him," Guy responded.

"That I can do," Gaara said as he began to focus. The entire area began to shake and rumble as all the sand Gaara had used began to rise into the air. Guy stood astonished as all the nearby rocks and boulders began to break down and turn to sand and even that began to rise into the air and coming together to look like a small island.

Shukaku paused as he watched the sand rise around him and he then glared at Gaara. It laughed wildly and then said, "I know what you're planning to do boy! And it'll never work!"

"We'll see about that," Gaara yelled. "Imperial Mountain Coffin!" All of the sand quickly closed in on Shukaku and encased it completely, only leaving its face exposed. Guy stood amazed as it literally looked as if Shukaku had been swallowed into a mountain. Gaara then squeezed his fist and the sand encasing Shukaku began to compress, crushing it. "Go Guy," Gaara said. "I can't hold him long."

_******Meanwhile******_

Naruto remained seated as he focused on pouring more of his nature chakra and the chakra of the Nine Tails into his clones and they quickly transferred it into the Rasengan they each had created. Each Rasengan glowed bright red.

"Naruto," Ino yelled. "How much longer! I don't think they can hold out much longer! Naruto!"

Suddenly Naruto opened his eyes and smiled. "Now! Tell them to throw their kunai now!"

"_Everyone," Ino said to all the captains. "Do it now!"_

Kurenai pulled the kunai from her waste and threw it at the feet of the Five Tails while Shikaku threw his kunai at the Four Tails.

"Now Anko," Yamato yelled into his ear piece. "Throw it now!"

Anko leapt high into the sky and threw the kunai down at the feet of the Six Tails and Guy threw his kunai at the One tails.

Naruto then turned to his clones and said, "You know what to do." And much to Ino and Neji's surprise all four clones vanished in thin air.

Everyone looked on as one of Naruto's clones appeared at each kunai. "So he actually did it," Shikaku said with a grin.

Konohamaru looked on as he saw Naruto facing the Biju. "Did what," he asked.

"He learned the technique created by his father," Shikaku said. "No….he has surpassed his father."

The Naruto clone stood facing the Four Tails with the Red Rasengan in his hand. Just then he felt a chakra coming from not too far away and he looked to see a large dome of water forming not too far away to the east. _There you are_, the clone thought.

Over by the One Tailed beast, Gaara and Guy looked on as Naruto had seemingly appeared from no where and was now standing at the feet of the Biju and was holding a Rasengan. But this Rasengan was different. It was glowing bright red, and they could feel the chakra flowing from it.

Sitting up on the roof of the Hokage's office was the real Naruto. _Ok_, he thought. _Do it now! _With that command, all four of the clones held the Rasengan out in their left hand and raised their right hand and struck the ball of energy with a karate chop. Each Rasengan seemed to destabilize and flair wildly as the compressed energy began to launch high into the sky spinning about like a mini twister.

_All right_, Naruto thought as he remained in deep focus. Each clone remained completely still with their eyes focused and their arms stretched towards the energy. _Keep the energy under control, expand it out, add more power. _

"Impossible," Shikaku said as he saw the red tornado that quickly grew larger and larger. "He's using his chakra to create…"

_******Meanwhile******_

"What are those," Neji said as he saw the four tornados as they increased in size. "It's my newest technique," Naruto said. "Rasen-Tatsumaki!"

All across the entire landscape people took shelter as the four large tornados grew even bigger. The sky grew dark with clouds and it seemed like they were covered by a sudden storm. The tornados then simultaneously slammed into each Biju, driving them back. Back in the main headquarters Tsunade, Homura, Inoichi, Koharu and everyone else in the room stood dumbstruck as the four tornados attacked the beasts. "What is this," Koharu mumbled.

Tsunade smiled and said, "That should be obvious. Once again, Naruto is protecting his village."

Naruto was drenched in sweat as he fought to pour more and more chakra into the tornados. Each tornado continuously slammed into a Biju. The wind was moving so fast it was slicing each of them up. Suddenly they all roared and began to fight back and began to break through the tornados.

"It's not enough," Ino said. "Their going to break through!"

Naruto opened his eyes and got to his feet. He spread his arms out and yelled, "Not….if…..I can help it! Rrrrraaaaaggghh!" Everyone of the roof covered their eyes as Naruto began to glow even brighter red. The building began to shake as pieces of the ceiling began to break free and float in the air. Naruto looked back at everyone and said, "Everyone, I need you all to take cover!"

Neji grabbed Ino by the arm and pulled her into the doorway leading downstairs as the three guards followed behind. Naruto screamed as he poured every ounce of power into the tornadoes.

"_**Stupid boy," The Nine Tails yelled. "What the hell are you doing! You'll kill us both if you put any more power into this technique!"**_

"_**If that's what it takes then that's what it takes," Naruto. "Now you can either sit there and do nothing or give me more of your damned power!"**_

_**The Kyubi gave a low growl and said, "One day I will put you in your place human. But luckily for you I have no intention of dying today."**_

Suddenly Naruto began to glow even brighter and an eighth tail began to grow. Naruto roared in a bestial way and each of the tornados grew to a massive scale.

_******Meanwhile******_

"Everyone hold on," Sakura screamed as she held to a large oak tree. Shielding her eyes from the wind and debris Sakura stared up at the large tornado nearby. It was nearly a quarter mile in circumference and was as high as she could see. The clouds and wind were bright red.

"What is this Sakura-chan," A nearby medic asked. "Is this from the Biju!"

"No," Sakura screamed over the storm. "I don't think so! This is something else!" _Naruto_, she thought. _Could this really be you? Could you really have this much power! It….It's almost inhuman!_

_******Meanwhile******_

"What the hell is this," Karin yelled over the howling winds as she gripped tight to a nearby tree. Both Madara and Sasuke braced themselves against the winds in silence. Karin struggled to hold on but lost her grip and screamed as she was blown back. Suddenly Sasuke reached out and grabbed her by the coat and held her as the wind kept her airborne. Karin looked behind her to see Sasuke holding her but not really paying much attention to her. _Thank you Sasuke-kun_, she thought.

The tornados slammed into each beast, weakening them and finally they were all launched back, each crashing to the ground violently before turning into energy and reabsorbed back into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, with the bit returning to its mouth once the last of the Biju's was absorbed.

"Guh," Naruto said as he ended his technique and each tornado disappeared and each clone disappeared in a puff of smoke. Everything became deathly quiet across the entire landscape as the clouds began to clear and the sun began to shine through. Ino, Neji and the guards cautiously emerged to see Naruto standing still looking out.

"I-Is it over," Ino asked. Realizing that nothing was moving about, she ran to the edge of the roof and looked about. "They're gone," she yelled. "The land has been ravaged badly. But they're gone."

"Incredible," Neji said. "He did it. He actually did it."

Ino and Neji hugged before they turned to Naruto. With a bright smile on her face Ino said, "That was simply incredible Naru…..to." Finally able to see Naruto's face, Ino gasped. Naruto's eyes were closed and his face deathly pale. Suddenly he began to tilt backwards before falling back and hitting the ground with a thud. "Naruto," Ino yelled as everyone raced towards his body. "Naruto!"

End of Chapter Thirty

Next Time: Watch My Back


	31. Watch My Back

_INTRODUCTION_

Welcome back to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I begin by stating that I do not own Naruto.

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_THANK YOU_

A special thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: ero-sennin56; Cloud Ex-SOLDIER; maliousdei; airnaruto45; charles cdv; Exor; ZeroTail29; Nemrut; theshrewdshrew; perfect beauty; xDARKNESS; SenninClaudio; Sazan; Diamond Man; MyHikari; Kushina's Truth of Hell; XxMusicBlueLoverxX; soccernin19; hothead11; Silver Senpai; Konoha's Crimson Fox; Killa Bee 8 and hideki411.

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_RESPONCES_

**ero-sennin56** - Thanx

**Cloud Ex-SOLDIER** - Hmm, do you think my buildup has taken too long? Pirate leg Yamato. Lol! That wood a bit too cliche...even for me. Lol! You know I concidered Naruto's defeat of Shukaku and I just believe that for moral purposes Suna officials wouldn't let that information known. :shrug:

The Biju wasn't completely devoid of chakra so they didn't disperse. Plus Madara had the statue active so that he could reabsorb them at a moments notice.

I'm glad Naruto's technique went over well. I had two concerns with it:

1. Would it be overpowered and thus hard to believe?

2. Would I be able to properly describe it?

Looks like it worked out. Lol!

**maliousdei** - Thanx. Let's just say Naruto never goes back on a promise. DATTEBAYO! Lol!

**airnaruto45** - Do you want it to end? You sound like you're sick of my story. :(

**charles cdv** - Thanx

**Exor** - Thanx. That's high praise, especially if you've read tons of fics. I'll try to keep the action coming! Lol!

**ZeroTail29** - Thanx. I'll try!

**Nemrut!** - Ahhh, my old nemesis Numrut! Glad you're still reading. Why do you feel that way? It seems considering Naruto has been learning all his fathers techs that Hiraishin would be a natural progression. True, i don't really like Kabumaru either, but its a helll of a lot better than Kabutomaru. Lol! Glad to see you liked the addition of Enma. that was a last minute addition on my part and I'm happy to see it worked.

The Biju arn't dead. Not even Naruto is that powerful. They were simply reabsorbed into Gedo Mazo before all thier chakra was spent. Happy to hear you liked the use of Ino. It was my hope to give her a higher value in battle.

**theshrewedshrew** - One thing I've learned in writing this story is that as the cast increases it is increasingly difficult to maintian focus on the overall story while highlighting the growth of the entire cast. My style has always been better dealing with smaller casts which is why I chose to take on this project. It gave me the perfect opportunity to work on that aspect of my writing.

You should check out my other series "Blade of the Shinigami". It follows less characters (at least for now) and you can see a difference in style.

Yes, I do have a few original works, but nothing I feel comfortable sharing at this time. Perhaps one day i can release a story that is completely my own. But I think I still need to make tons of improvements in my writing before that time comes.

Thank you for your honesty.

**perfect beauty** - Thanx.

**xDARKNESS** - Lol! You caught that did you? Yeah, one mistake I've made was pacing the story. In hindsight I would have made this a four Book story. Now the chapter distribution is grossly uneven. The problem is that many of my ideas for Book III kept expending until it's now 30 something chapters. Oh well. But the end is fast approaching. Less than 10 chapters left.

**SenninClaudio** - I will upload in time! I GIVE YOU MY WORD! Lol!

**Sazan** - Glad you enjoyed the chapter. INO, action scenes are meaningless unless you can understand the emotion such situations cause the characters. Of course I would thank you. You took the time to review my work. You didn't have to and I thank you for that.

**Diamond Man** - Yes, we have the Yellow Flash, The White Fang, The Green Dragon and now...The Crimson Tornado. Glad you loved the technique and the chapter.

**MyHikari** - Lol! Ok, so long as I wasn't offensive Lol! Naruto, I think it's safe to say, won't die...maybe...hopefully...LMAO!

**Kushina's** - Thanx.

**MusicBlueLover** - You know I am really happy so many loved his new technique. I was hoping it would work. Glad you loved the chapter.

**soccernin19** - Thanx. Glad you loved the way things came together.

**hothead11** - No biggy. So long as you're reading and reviewing when you can. :D

I had a feeling people would have forgotten Anko. Which is why I thought this would be a great place to bring her into the story. And what better way than to have her save the day.

**Silver Senpai** - Senpai-kun! Glad to see you're still reading. Kabumaru's role is well...what you'd least expect. Lol! Is the story moving to slow you think? I've been wondering about that myself actually.

**Konoha's Crimson Fox** - Lol! i take that to mean you liked it.

**Killa Bee 8** - Glad you liked it. Thanx.

**hideki411** - Thanx.

****Celious** - A special thanks to Celious who reviewed the last chapter in Book I. Glad to see you're reading the story as you promised and more importantly, you like it so far. I hope you keep reading and catch up to my recent chapters. Start reading Book II as soon as you can Celious. Lol!

* * *

_MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR_

Ok, so here is chapter 31 of Book III. I TOLD YOU I'D POST THIS CHAPTER ON SCHEDULE! LMAO! **Please** remember to leave a** review** once done. Reviews are the only payment I receive. Lol!

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XXXI: Watch My Back

_******Two Miles outside Konoha's Border******_

Danzo fell back to the ground, gasping for breath. His robes were torn and tattered and he bore many fresh cuts and bruises all over his body. He also had a large gaping wound in his chest from which a massive amount of blood poured. Danzo looked about him. His vision was blurred and slowly darkening. All six of his ROOT guards, including Fu, lay dead. Their bodies horribly twisted and mangled. Danzo's gaze fell upon Fu, whose neck had been snapped and twisted in an inhuman way. His eyes lay open and staring back at Danzo in an almost accusing way.

Danzo coughed and spat up blood before saying, "Impossible…how could you have mastered such a technique so completely. Not even Orochimaru….."

"You should know by now Danzo that I have long since surpassed Orochimaru," Kabumaru said. He stood a few feet away. In his hand was Danzo's Hokage hat which he inspected with a bored expression on his face. All of Kabumaru's men were still alive and had surrounded Danzo who seemed to lack the strength to even stand on his own. "So you took the robes and the hat which the Hokage must wear, even as you abandon you're village to torture and death? Did you actually think that you could somehow return and explain away your actions and remain as Hokage?" Kabumaru laughed to himself before tossing the hat aside. "Does you're arrogance know no bounds?"

"No more than yours it would appear," Danzo said as he sat up and stared at Kabumaru defiantly. Suddenly Danzo felt a massive pain in his right arm and it began to grow and twist about. His fingers turned to roots and buried themselves into the earth. _No_, Danzo thought. _I lack the chakra to control Hashirama's cells. _

Danzos right arm began to grow into a large tree and began to quickly spread to his shoulder. _Damn_, Danzo thought as he panicked. _If I don't cut free I'll be swallowed hole. _Danzo tried to reach for a nearby kunai, but he had been severely weakened by his wounds. He found his fingers unable to function quickly.

Kabumaru stared at Danzo for a moment before looking at one of the masked men by his side and nodded. The man then walked up to Danzo and revealed a sword from under his cloak. The man then raised his sword towards Danzo and sliced Danzo's mutating arm away, and then kicked Danzo back.

Danzo coughed violently as the kick only added to the pain in his ravaged body. Once the pain was manageable he looked up to see the large tree his arm had turned into. He then looked to Kabumaru with a questioning look on his face. "Don't look so confused Danzo," Kabumaru said. "Having you turn into an overgrown log does not help advance my ambitions."

Danzo laughed as he focused on all his remaining chakra and focused it on his left arm. Once he felt some strength return to his left hand he moved quickly to make the necessary hand signs. With another nod, Kabumaru signaled another ninja who raised his hand and several thick strands of black threads shot out from his sleeves and wrapped around Danzo's remaining arm and with a slight twist, broke it at the wrist and elbow.

Danzo yelled in pain and sneered at Kabumaru. "Tch, tch, tch," Kabumaru said. "You were going to activate that pesky Reverse Four Symbols Technique weren't you? I'm surprised someone like you would use a suicide technique."

"That's why you were never an adequate ninja Kabumaru," Madara said defiantly. "A ninja must be willing to give his life without hesitation for the betterment of his village."

"Yet here you were doing everything not to die," Kabumaru said mockingly. "Sneaking away like a little rat."

"Because I must live Kabumaru," Danzo said. "My vision is the only way for the ninja world to survive. Only I can bring peace to the world."

Kabumaru laughed contemptuously. "Peace to the world, peace to the world. You, Pain, Hanzo of the Salamander, Namikaze Naruto…all you ever speak about is bringing peace. And you're all so convinced your way was right. Everyone is always so focused on bringing peace yet none of you have achieved it. Let me tell you something Danzo, do you know why peace will never happen? Because is too boring. That's why man will always look to chaos, because whether they wish to admit it or not, chaos is interesting."

Kabumaru began to walk towards Danzo and said, "Think on that as you travel to the next world."

"Wait, Kabumaru," Danzo said, a look of fear plastered on his face. "I can still help you. Together we can unlock the secret. Anything Kabumaru, I'll give you anything."

Kabumaru grabbed Danzo by the collar and lifted him into the air. He opened his mouth to reveal his fangs and his long tongue that stuck out like a snake. "Yes Danzo," he said. "You will give me what I want."

_******Meanwhile – Several Miles Away******_

Sasuke pushed the two fallen trees away and stood up. Karin was clinging nervously to his coat as she looked about. "Unbelievable," she whispered as she looked at all the broken and battered trees. Sasuke remained silent as he looked around. The last remaining Akatsuki ninja that was with them were all scattered about. They were all unconscious or worse and Sasuke knew that many of them were blown away to who knows where.

Nearby they saw Madara standing perfectly still in the same spot he had always stood. _He must have turned intangible during the storm_, Karin thought.

"Rrraaagggh," Madara suddenly screamed as he punched a nearby fallen tree and broke it in half. Karin marveled at his strength.

Sasuke stared at Madara as he raged about with a blank look and only after a few moments did he smile to himself and begin walking down the hill towards Konoha. "Where are you going," Madara yelled angrily.

"I gave you an opportunity to defeat Konoha with your little schemes and plans Madara," Sasuke said. "Now I'm going to do what I should have done from the very beginning." Karin stared at Sasuke and then back to Madara who, to her surprise was staring back at her. She couldn't see his eyes but she could feel them boring into her. As if he were staring at her very soul. Nervously she backed away from him and ran off behind Sasuke.

As the two disappeared into the woods Madara folded his arms and smiled. _I'm surprised you were so patient Sasuke_, he thought. _I could feel your anticipation from here. Oh well, I guess I can't wait around anymore myself. _Madara disappeared in a swirl of energy.

_******Meanwhile – several miles away******_

"Amazing," Sakura whispered to herself as she stood atop the highest tree top and surveyed the area. Straight ahead she could see flattened trees and large craters filled with pools of water. To her left was more signs of destruction with burning trees, dozens of craters, some half the size of her village and plumes of smoke. In the distance to her right, more damage. It was obvious to her that the land would bear the brunt of these scars for generations to come.

Nevertheless, she found herself amazed that not only were these creatures powerful enough to cause such destruction but that there was a power great enough to stop them. And that power all came from one man. "Naruto," she whispered as tears welled in her eyes. Her tears were a mix of pent up torrent of frustration, fear, relief and most of all….pride.

"Sakura-taicho," a medic called. "How are things! Is it bad!"

Sakura looked down and was ready to answer when a sudden feeling took hold of her. It only lasted two or three seconds but it seemed like a lifetime. A few months ago, Naruto had performed a technique on her that shared a part of his chakra with hers. Since that day, she could always feel his presence. Since that day, she felt like she was never truly alone. Naruto was with her, if only in spirit. But for those brief seconds, she felt his chakra disappear. For those few seconds she was alone. "Naruto," she said to herself as she quickly looked back towards the direction of the village.

But before she could even attempt to consider what that sudden change could mean, Naruto's chakra returned. It was weak, but it was steady. _What was that_, Sakura wondered. Sakura then looked down at the medic and said, "Masumi, tell everyone that I want all the patients and gear prepared to move back to Konoha in ten minutes. Any gear that isn't packed will be left behind. Once they're on the move I want the remaining medics to head out and assist any injured and help bring them back to Konoha. Do you understand?"

Masumi saluted and said, "Yes Taicho!" She quickly turned and ran off leaving Sakura alone. Sakura continued to stare towards the direction of the village. Something had gone wrong with Naruto. She had to get back as quickly as possible.

_******Konoha – Hokage Mansion – Several Moments Ago******_

Naruto's body fell back and hit the ground with a sickening thud. He was so pale it seemed as if all the blood had been drained from him. His eyes were open and lifeless and he remained completely still. Ino screamed Naruto's name as she ran to him and kneeled over him.

"What happened Ino," Neji asked nervously as he stood behind her along with the guards that had been placed to watch over Naruto. "Is he all right? He's not….not…."

"I don't know Neji," Ino said as she placed her hands on Naruto's chest. Her hands began to glow as she began her inspection.

"Well." Neji asked.

"Nothing," Ino said. "Nothings moving."

"What do you mean," Neji asked.

"Just like I said," Ino said. "I feel no chakra from him. Not only that but his blood flow, his heart, his brain, all his organs have just….stopped."

In a panic Neji turned to the guards and yelled, "Don't just stand there! Go get Lady Tsunade! We're going to need her help!"

_******Meanwhile – In a place where time holds no meaning******_

_The Nine Tails growled as it glared down at Naruto and he could see the unbridled hate in its eyes. He knew that if it had the chance the Nine Tails wouldn't hesitate to destroy him. __**"Stupid human," the Nine Tails said. "When you told me of your little plan to combat my brothers I went along with it! But you never told me you would plan to go this far!"**_

"_It's none of your business how far I go," Naruto responded. _

_The Kyubi raised its large paw and slammed it down in front of Naruto. One of its claws came down only inches away from him. But despite that, Naruto didn't flinch. __**"When you threaten your own life as well as mine then it is," The Nine Tails answered. **_

"_If you want to ensure that I don't die then don't hold back on the power next time," Naruto said. _

_The Kyubi roared loudly. __**"Do not presume to order me about like some house pet human," it said. "I may have agreed to work with you but we are not friends. When this is over I will focus all my power towards ridding myself of you once and for all! You and all your kind are weak and pathetic!"**_

"_We're not weak you stupid fox," Naruto said. "We're strong. Stronger than you in our own way."_

"_**Humans are week and fragile," The Kyubi said. "You exist thinking your wants, needs and desires trump all things. When in reality they are insignificant. Your time on this world is insignificant!"**_

"_And that's why we're strong," Naruto said. "Because we aren't blessed with immortality. Because our time is so short it drives us to make our mark on this world. To be remembered. That drive gives us purpose and that's why you hate us so. Because despite all your power you have nothing. Despite your immortality you have nothing. To live forever with no purpose in life. I feel sorry for you."_

_The Kyubi roared and got to its feet. It raised its paw and swung at Naruto only for its claw to stop inches from his face. __**"My purpose is the destruction of all things," The Kyubi said. "You included."**_

"_And then what," Naruto asked. "What will you do when all things are gone?"_

"_**I haven't considered it yet," The Nine Tails responded. "I'll think about that when the time comes."**_

_Naruto laughed. "So you act without considering the consequences too huh," he asked. "I guess you and I have more in common than I thought. But we don't have time for this. Return me to the land of the living. I still have several clones there and I need to get back before my connection with them is severed and they disperse. I can't afford to start over having them build Sage chakra."_

_The Kyubi settled down once more and said, __**"Stupid boy! Time is meaningless here. I can return you so that only a second or two has passed so that the connection remains."**_

_******Meanwhile******_

In a panic Neji turned to the guards and yelled, "Don't just stand there! Go get Lady Tsunade! We're going to need her help!" Just as one of the guards was turning to leave, Naruto suddenly took a deep, gasping breath and clutched Ino by the arm.

Ino nearly leapt back from the sudden movement and gave a surprised scream. "Naruto," Ino yelled. "You're ok!"

"Naruto," Neji said happily.

Naruto opened his eyes and continued to take quick, painful breaths. His body was in pain from head to toe and his head was pounding, like someone was continuously hitting him over the head with a hammer.

"I'm….fine," Naruto said. "Hurting….badly. Keep…..healing,"

"Oh, right," Ino said as she began to heal his wounds. After a few moments Naruto was felling a little better and Ino dug into her tool bag and removed a soldier pill. "Here," Ino said. "This is Sakura's new and improved soldier pill."

Naruto opened his mouth and Ino fed it to him. "Gack," Naruto screamed and seemed to wretch.

"Are you alright," Ino said. "Are you in pain!"

"No," Naruto said as he grimaced. "This soldier pill tastes worse than ever! The woman can't cook! Ugh!" Hearing this made Ino laugh.

Suddenly Naruto felt a surge of energy to all of his muscles and his eyes opened wide. He quickly leapt to his feet and looked at his body, his muscles and his clenched fist. "Wow," he said. "She can't cook but she knows her medicine."

Naruto took a deep breath and then looked out towards the landscape. He could see all the damage out there. He then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. _Sakura's soldier pill may have replenished some of my energy but no where near enough_, he thought.

Naruto then looked to Shima and said, "Granny Toad, do you mind?"

"Of course," Shima said as she placed her hand on the scroll and another Naruto clone appeared in a puff of smoke. As soon as it arrived Naruto dispersed it and he was suddenly full of power and had the Sage chakra active.

"Much better," Naruto said with a smile. Instantly Naruto felt a disturbance and ran to the edge of the roof and looked down. "No! Damn it!"

"What is it," Neji asked as they ran up.

"Akatsuki forces have made it under the village," Naruto yelled.

"What," Ino asked. "How?"

"I don't know," Naruto replied. "But there are about two hundred individual chakra signatures I'm sensing under ground. Not only that but I can feel the individual chakra of the ROOT shinobi going out one by one. Akatsuki must have attacked them first. They'll make their way above ground soon."

"Alright," Neji said. "We'll notify the Hokage and get the guards ready for them. Let's go Naruto."

Neji and Ino turned to leave when they noticed Naruto was not following behind. Naruto stared at them and then looked out beyond Konoha towards a large dome in the distance. "Naruto," Ino said.

"I can't," Naruto said.

"What," Neji asked.

"I can't go with you," Naruto responded. "There is something I have to do."

"What can be more important than protecting our village," Neji asked. He was clearly getting upset.

"I wish I could explain but there's no time," Naruto said. "But don't worry. I won't leave you alone. Granny Toad, please summon all except for Gamakichi."

"Right," Shima said as she bit her thumb and made several hand signs. In several large puffs of smoke everyone found themselves standing in the shadows of several large toads. Gamabunta, Gamaken, Fukasaku, Gamahiro and Gamatatsu.

Gamabunta looked down at Naruto and the others and blew smoke from his pipe. "Hey boy," he said. "Is this where we'll be fighting Madara."

"Actually there's been a change of plans," Naruto said. "I need you all to remain here and help guard the village. There are about two hundred ninja making their way up from underground. You have to stay and help fight them off."

Again Gamabunta blew smoke. "How insulting," he yelled. "This was to be my last, glorious battle before retirement! I expected to be part of the battle between you and Madara, not some of his sheep!"

Naruto bowed. "I'm sorry Boss Toad," he said. "But this will have to do. I'll have to rely on your son for help with that."

"Hmmm," Gamabunta said. "Taking down Uchiha Madara as his first mission as Chief of the Toads? Hmmm. Not bad! Alright boy, that will do!"

"Thank you Boss Toad," Naruto said with a bow. Shima wrapped the scroll up and returned it to Naruto who strapped it to his back. Shima leapt into his jacket packet as Naruto turned to leave when the two masked guards appeared in his way.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun," one of them said. "But we are under express orders by the Hokage to not let you leave the village."

Naruto stared at the two guards for a moment and then said, "If Danzo wanted to keep me here he should have sent someone stronger to guard me." Naruto took a step forward and both ninja began to draw their weapons.

To their amazement Naruto began to glow bright red and then took another step forward. This time both of the ninja took a step back. "Can I ask you something," Naruto said as he slowly continued to walk towards them. "I've never understood how a person can allow themselves to follow an order that goes against all common sense."

Both ninja seemed to pause and look at each other. "I guess I've never been wired that way," Naruto said. "I mean, look around you. You're job, above all others is to protect your home, your comrades and the people you care about. And yet, Danzo wants you to watch over me…fight me if need be….when all I want is to protect our home. Does that make sense? Are you really going to follow that order while your friends and family are threatened?"

The two ninja stared at Naruto and then each other before they stood aside in silence. Naruto walked passed them, patting them both on the shoulder as he did so, and looked up at Gamatatsu and said, "Gamatatsu, I need you to send me over there."

Gamatatsu looked off to the dense patch of trees and the large dome that covered it Naruto was pointing to and then looked to him and saluted. "Sure thing Naruto-kuuuun," he said is usual jovial manner.

"Naruto," Ino yelled. "That technique you used before….it was…incredible….amazing…..it was impossible."

Naruto smiled and said, "Impossible huh? No Ino, that wasn't impossible. You haven't seen impossible…..not yet." Suddenly Gamatatsu shot his tongue out and wrapped it around Naruto and pulled him into his mouth like a fly.

Ino and Neji recoiled in disgust at seeing this and Ino said, "Ugh! Just when I thought he was cool he goes and does something so disgusting!'

They watched as Gamatatsu's mouth moved around and after a few seconds Gamatatsu reared back, aimed for the location Naruto had given him and said, "Water Release: Human Water Cannon!" Gamatatsu then fired a massive blast of water high into the sky and soared over the land.

Once he was high enough Naruto's voice came from within the water. "Wind Release: Wind God of the Sky!" Suddenly all the water fell away as Naruto released two powerful, sustained blasts of air from each fist that allowed him to hurtle through the air.

Ino and Neji stood on the roof watching as Naruto flew further and further away. "Wow," Ino mumbled. "He really is something."

"Yeah," Neji said with a half smile. "We should get down there and prepare for the enemy."

'We," Ino asked. "We aren't doing anything. You are headed back to bed. I'll go and help the guards."

"There is no way I'm leaving you to fight while I go lay down," Neji said.

"But…" Ino replied.

"No buts," Neji said. "I'm going to help. My Byakugan may not be fully healed but it will be strong enough."

Ino sighed deeply. Knew Neji was far too proud and pig headed to give up this fight. "Fine," she said. "But you have to stay nearby to me at all times. If you start hurting I'm pulling you out of the fight."

Neji stood staring at Ino as she began walking to the exit. "Marry me," he suddenly said to which Ino pause in her tracks.

"W…What did you say," Ino asked as she slowly turned around.

"You heard me," Neji said as she walked up to her. "I….I love you….and…..I want you to marry me," Neji said.

Ino shook her head in confusion and said, "Stop playing around Neji. You and I both know your family arranges marriages. You, yourself have been promised to someone. This thing we have, it was temporary and you know it."

"I don't care," Neji said. "I'm not going to marry that girl. I don't love her. I don't even know her. I want you. If you don't love me then just say so."

"It's not that," Ino replied. "It's just that this is so….sudden. I mean what brought this all on?"

Neji walked up and gently Ino's cheek and said, "Always live you're life without regret. A friend taught me that. This war has taught me how precious life is. How precious happiness is." Tears began to well in Ino's eyes as she placed her hand over Neji's. "Well," Neji said. "Will you marry me or not?"

Ino leapt into Neji arms and kissed him deeply and stayed in his arms for wait seemed an eternity. Only when they heard the opening sounds of battle did they separate. "They're here," Gamabunta yelled as he drew his massive sword.

Ino wiped the tears from her eyes and laughed. "Alright lover," she said with a sudden fierceness in her eyes. "Let's go put an end to this war. And let's make it quick! I've got a wedding to plan!"

"Don't you mean we have a wedding to plan," Neji asked as he ran behind Ino.

"Ha," Ino laughed. " You think you're actually going to help! Ha! You're so cute!"

_******Meanwhile******_

Far below on the ground Shikaku and the remainder of the surviving ninja were slowly making their way from the battlefield. Konohamaru, who was being helped along by Enma looked up as he heard a strange sound in the sky. "What in the world is that," he asked.

"Look," another ninja yelled as he pointed to the sky.

Konohamaru's eyes widened in shock as he saw Naruto wiz by overhead. "Naruto-niichan," he whispered.

"It's Naruto," another ninja yelled as everyone broke out into cheers. Iruka smiled as he looked at everyone around him cheering. _Go get em Naruto_, he thought.

As Naruto flew overhead he could hear the growing cheers coming from everywhere as more and more people saw him flying by over head. But Naruto wasn't concerned with that. He was focused solely on the dome straight ahead.

Tsunade and the others all gathered by the window as they stared, transfixed at what they were witnessing. Just then a ninja barged in and yelled, "Lady Hokage! Naruto has….!"

But Tsunade waved the ninja off. "I already know."

"We should stop him Tsunade," Homura said. "He's playing right into Madara's hands. You know it as well as I."

"True," Tsunade responded. "But just how do you suppose we do that?" Tsunade began to recall her first meeting with the brash blonde boy. His pride and his strength. His vulnerability and his unwavering loyalty.

Tsunade smiled and said, "Besides….all heroes have that moment where they must face the darkness. The moment when they must go from being the shield for those they love to being their sword. It is what places them above all others. It is what shapes them. I believe Naruto's moment has come. All we can do now is believe." _Naruto_, she thought. _You've always been like a grandson to me. And I know your mother, father and Jiraiya are as proud of you as I am. Please come back alive. _

Gaara sat down gingerly against a tree as a medic from Suna looked him over. Temari, Kankuro and Shikamaru stood over the medic as he worked. "You really are an idiot Gaara," Temari yelled. "What if you had died! You're lucky Naruto was able to save your ass! What would I have said to Matsui?"

"Look at that," a nearby ninja yelled as he ran pointing at the sky. Everyone looked up to see Naruto fly by.

"Was that," Kanakuro said dumbfounded. "Nah….couldn't be. Could it?"

Gaara smiled to himself and remained seated as all around, his people cheered Naruto on.

"He can fly," Shikamaru asked. "He can fly! He made me walk through a damned desert when he could fly?"

"Wow," Temari said. "Every time I think he can't get any better he surprises me. Incredible."

Shikamaru looked at Temari and then back up at Naruto as he got further and further away. "He's going to get an incredible ass woopin the next time I see him."

About a mile away, the large group of medics cheered as they say Naruto fly passed over head. "Did you see that," one medic asked another.

"Incredible," a female medic gushed. "He's just incredible."

Hinata sighed in relief. _Be careful Naruto-kun_, she thought.

Everyone cheered and called Naruto's name, except for a certain pink haired kunoichi who stared with a blank face. _So_, Sakura thought. _You wouldn't do anything rash huh Naruto?_

"Masumi," Sakura yelled.

"Yes Taicho," Masumi answered as she ran up.

"I need you to finish leading everyone back to the village," Sakura said. "There's something I need to do."

_******Meanwhile******_

"Rrrrrrr," Kisame said as he stared at the face of the Kirigakure ninja. The ninja's eyes were open but had rolled in the back of his head as Kisame held him by the neck. "Dead already," Kisame said. "Hah! And you were so boastful. What a shame."

Kisame let the man go who began to float away and then looked around at the dozens of bodies of Suna, Kiri and Konoha ninja that floated bout in his water dome. Several minutes ago he was leading a division of three hundred through the woods towards Konoha. The mission Madara had given him was simple: Use the distraction the Biju were providing to lead a squad right to Konoha's gate. Naruto would either go out to face the Biju or remain and be forced to face Kisame and his squad.

But it seemed someone in the Alliance had half a brain and anticipated this move. Kisame and his squad were ambushed and forced into battle. Kisame wasn't sure how many of his men died. Perhaps they all were. He really didn't care. All Kisame cared about was fighting. He wasn't one for sneaking about. And when he came across so many Alliance ninja he decided to really cut loose and transform into his shark form. The Alliance ninja didn't last much longer after that. It was like shooting fish in a barrel.

Kisame looked outside his dome and noticed that he couldn't see any of the Biju anymore. The last thing he saw was a sudden storm and several large tornados that appeared to be actually attacking each beast. And then, just as quickly as the storm came, it vanished and each Biju was gone.

_Oh well_, Kisame thought. _Nothing left to do now but continue on to Konoha. _Just then Kisame noticed something in the sky. At first it looked like just a speck. _A lone bird_, he thought. But as it got closer the shape of it seemed wrong for a bird. And not only that, but there appeared to be a large blast of wind trailing behind and it appeared to be heading this way and it was closing in much too fast to be a bird.

_Huh_, Kisame thought. _What is th…. _Before Kisame could finish his thought the object crashed into his dome and all Kisame knew at that point was pain. Something had hit him in the face. It hit him so hard that he felt his jaw crack and dislocate. In that moment his entire world was turned upside down as he felt his body hurtling uncontrollably through the water and then, surprisingly, out into the open air. _I'm moving so fast even my water dome can't keep up_, he thought.

Kisame felt his body crash into nearby trees and rocks before limply coming to stop. His body was wracked with pain. His legs and arms were both broken. As was his jaw, ribs, pelvis and skull. More importantly, Kisame couldn't breath. He had been knocked out of the water dome and, still in his shark form he was without water for his gills to function.

Rapidly losing consciousness Kisame commanded Samehada to separate from his body and once it did, Samehada immediately began to give Kisame all the chakra it had stolen from all the ninja they had killed.

It took a few moments but Kisame could feel himself healing. Bones began to snap back into place. Muscle began to reconnect to muscle. Blood began to flow through his body properly. Eventually, darkness turned to light and Kisame's eyes opened. Kisame groaned and he rubbed his mended, but still aching jaw. "Good thing you absorbed so much chakra Samehada," Kisame said. "I probably would have died with out it. But what the hell was it that hit me?"

At that moment he heard the unmistakable sound of a small branch snapping under someone's feet. Looking up he saw a blonde, blue eyed man standing before him. "You there," he said. "Kisame Hoshigaki am I right? My name is Namikaze Naruto. I've been looking for you."

Kisame smiled. _I guess things aren't going to be so boring anymore_, he thought.

"You're the one who hunted down Killer Bee right," Naruto asked.

Kisame got to his feet and placed Samehada on his shoulder. "So you actually came to me," he asked. "Wow! I heard you were a brash idiot but this is just too easy." "Were you the one who hunted Killer Bee," Naruto asked again which caused Kisame's grin to be even wider.

"Yes," Kisame said proudly. "I'm the one who took him down." Suddenly Naruto appeared inches from Kisame ready to fight. Kisame was just able to put his sword in front of him allowing the sword to absorb the punch. Kisame then quickly kicked Naruto in the stomach launching him back and to the ground on the other side of the small clearing.

_Damn_, Naruto said. _What I heard of the swords abilities is true. I tried to attack faster than the sword could react but it was still able to absorb enough of my chakra to weaken my punch. _

Just then Naruto heard the bushes rustle behind him, followed by a familiar female voice. "Well, well. How disappointing. Here you are supposed to be the inspiration of the entire ninja world yet look at you. Sitting on the ground like that isn't very inspiring."

Naruto looked up to see a soft hand reach for him. Smiling he grabbed the hand and got to his feet. "Hey Sakura-chan," he said. "What are you doing here?"

Sakura's eyes remained locked on Kisame who merely stood, smiling. "What am I doing here," Sakura asked. "I'll tell you what I'm doing here." Sakura turned to Naruto with a fire in her eyes and punched him in the head causing Naruto to pitch forward and almost fall.

"Ouch," Naruto yelled as he began to rub his head. "What was that for!"

"That's for lying to me again," Sakura screamed. "You promised me that you would stay in the village and let us protect you! But the entire time you had this plan! Not only do you leave the village but you leave by flying in the air! I mean never mind the fact that you shouldn't even be able to do that but doing something like that brings everyone's attention to you! You might as well hold up a sign saying 'Hey Madara, I'm right here, come and get me!' I mean what is wrong with you! Can't you just sit still?"

"I can't just do nothing while my friends die for my sake," Naruto yelled.

"But if you get captured then they would have died for nothing Naruto," Sakura replied. "And that is worse!"

Suddenly Kisame appeared above them with Samehada at the ready. "Hah!" he yelled as he readied his attack. Sakara reacted quickly, pulling one of Naruto's special kunai from his belt and throwing it at Kisame's head while Naruto grabbed her by the other arm. Kisame moved his head slightly and the kunai whizzed by the side of his head and embedded in a tree on the opposite side of the clearing. Kisame swung his sword down only for both Naruto and Sakura to vanish before his eyes.

Kisame landed and looked around. "What the hell," he said in a state of confusion. _Was that speed_, he thought. _No. No one runs that fast. Where are they? _

"Looking for us," Naruto said. Kisame looked behind him to see both Naruto and Sakura standing next to the tree where the Kunai was stuck in.

Kisame stared at them for a moment and then smiled. "Flying Thunder God huh," Kisame asked. "I'd heard of the technique. I thought only the Fourth Hokage knew that one. I never imagined he would pass it down to his kid."

"You should get out of here Sakura," Naruto said. "I don't want you to get hurt in this fight."

"I'm stronger than you think Naruto," Sakura said. "I'm not going anywhere. I didn't come here just to leave you to fight alone."

"Yeah, she should stay" Kisame said. "Besides, I would love to have her watch you be defeated. Just like I had others watch when I took down the Eight Tails."

Naruto glared at Kisame. He could feel his anger rising every moment he was in Kisame's presence. _**"Kill him Naruto," said the Nine Tails. "We can feast on his bones and get drunk on his blood! We'll make him pay tenfold! Let me out! I can help you!"**_

Naruto could feel the cloak beginning to cover him and his eyes began to have both the Nine Tails and Sage look to them. Just then he felt Sakura's warm hand on his cheek and it was like a cold splash of water to his face and he began to calm down.

Naruto looked to Sakura who smiled but said nothing. It was then he realized she didn't have to. Everything that was needed to be said was done with her touch. "Alright," Naruto said as he walked ahead of Sakura. "I'll start the fight. You can follow my lead and together we can…"

Naruto then felt Sakura's hand on his shoulder and stopped as she pulled him back. "No Naruto," Sakura said as she walked passed him. "You misunderstand. I didn't come here to fight this guy with you either. I came to fight him for you. I want you to go. I will fight Kisame alone."

"What," Naruto yelled. "No way! Sakura are you crazy! This guy took down Kirabi-sama on his own! Not only that but in Sage mode I can feel how much chakra this guy has and its insane! There is no way I'm going to….!"

"He's waiting for you Naruto," Sakura said. "About a half mile back in the direction I came from. But you already knew that didn't you."

Naruto looked down as one name came to mind, _Sasuke_. Yes he felt his chakra. It popped up about the same time he arrived to face Kisame. Sasuke was releasing a massive amount of chakra. Just like the last time. Sasuke was calling out to him. Just like the last time.

"Naruto," Sakura said. "Do you remember what I said to you this morning? I meant it. I want to be with you. Only you. I want to share your happiness and your burdens. But that can only happen if you have faith in my strength. For years all I could do is stand aside and watch your back as you fought. Now, I want you to watch mine."

Naruto stared at Sakura. Despite her abilities and training, to him she has always seemed so small, so….delicate. She was a fragile, precious treasure that needed, had to be, protected. But now, for the first time, he understood what she had been trying to tell him these past couple of months. For the first time, he truly saw her strength. And he was in awe.

Naruto smiled to himself and turned from her. He knew now that giving her any words of praise or saying good luck would be meaningless. Leaving her now was enough for her to know how much confidence he had in her. "Naruto," she said without looking back at him.

"Yes Sakura-chan," he answered.

"Don't forget you're promise to me," she said.

Naruto laughed and scratched his head. "Right Sakura-chan," he said.

"Oh and Naruto, just call me Sakura," she said as she looked back at him with a smile.

Naruto smiled and began to walk away. He only stopped for one more moment and saw Sakura glaring at Kisame. Taking a deep breath he turned and ran off.

"Hey," Kisame yelled towards Naruto. "Where the hell do you think you're going!" Kisame turned to chase after Naruto and yelled, "If you think I'm going to let you….!" Before he could finish his sentence Kisame saw an object flying towards him with incredible speed. He came to an immediate stop as a kunai whizzed by, barely missing his throat, before it pierced cleanly through a nearby tree.

Kisame looked at the clean hole the kunai made into the tree and then back to the woman who threw it. "Didn't you hear what I said," Sakura said. "I said I am your opponent."

_End of Chapter 31_

_Next Time: The Cherry Blossom Blooms_


	32. The Cherry Blossom Blooms

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I begin by stating that I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

A speacial thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: airnaruto45; xDARKNESS; MyHikari; Cloud Ex-SOLDIER; theshrewedshrew; ZeroTail29; perfect beauty; Hideki411; Kushina's Truth of Hell; charles cdv; Diamond Man; Mudcake; XxMusicBlueLoverxX; Silver Senpai; KiiroiSenkou; Sazan; Konoha's Crimson Fox; SenninClaudio and hothead11.

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**RESPONCES**

**airnaruto45** - Never rush the climax dude. LMAO. Never rush the climax.

**xDARKNESS** - Glad you found the humor in the chapter. I like to break up the tension from time to time. As for this chapter I'm hoping it's pretty tight. It's extra long so that's one good thing. Thank's for bringing that error to my attention. I changed it immediately.

**MyHikari** - It will be fun indeed. Not for them. But for me. It was fun writing it. And yes, Sasuke vs. Naruto round 4 is coming very soon.

**Cloud Ex-SOLDIER** - LMAO! Naruto went Iron Man! Nice. Very good comparison. I didn't even think of that. Well, I can tell you that my version of Sakura is anything but helpless. You'll see. Glad you liked Neji's proposal. There aren't too many NejixIno fans. (In fact I don't think I've met any. Lol!) So I wanted to show how realistic and natural a paring between them could be.

**theshrewedshrew** - Yes, It has been challenging to juggle so many characters. I am also working on a Bleach fic and I'm excited to take what I've learned and see if I can do a better job there. But, and I don't want to seem cocky, but I think I've done a better job at dealing with this massive cast than I thought I would. Yes, my characters act a bit differently. But as you say, they came from a darker world and as a result deal with things a bit differently.

Style? TBH, I've never really considered what my style is. Actually, as I think about it, this is probably as far from my style as you can get. That's probably why I wanted to do this story. It was a challenge. It was an opportunity to do something outside the box where I could get some honest feedback from readers who don't know me and thus have no reason to sugarcoat thier thoughts. I think if you wanted a better idea of my style I think my Bleach fic is closer to what I write naturally.

Most of my original stories are dark supernatural stories. I prefer writing complex tales where there is no defined black or white, where the villans and heroes opporate in shades of grey. I've written mystery, fantasy and even a few comedies. But they all always have some sort of supernatural twist.

And so you know, it's not that I lack confidence to release my work. I'm just insanely critical of my work. Johnny Depp, in an interview, once said that he never watches his own movies because he wouldn't enjoy it. He would spend the entire time critiquing himself. I think I'm the same. Whatever I write I never re-read. I never enjoy reading them. It's for that reason I never show my work except for a few people.

**ZeroTail** - Glad you liked that moment. I really wanted that comedic moment to break the seriousness of the chapter. Don't count out Sakura yet. She can be surrising when she has time to plan for her enemy.

**perfect beauty** - CONGRATULATIONS! Wow, my 500th review comes from a perfect beauty. If thats not poetic I know not what is. My gratitude is forever yours my sweet. Wow, that line really went over well. Better than I'd hoped. Glad you enjoyed it. And it seems I'm making you a fan of the InoxNeji pairing. Lol!

**hideki411** - Thanx.

**Kushina's** - Ah! Sorry but I had to get the story moving along. i couldn't linger tot long on his possible death. We all knew he'd live. Lol! But don't worry. There is more drama to come this I promise. Of course I would put more attention on Sakura. this is a NS fic. One thing I hate is to read NS fics where Sakura is relegated to background scenery or just the damsel in distress. Sakura is a student of one the most powerful living ninja in the world. I wanted to show that she could throw down too.

**Diamond Man** - Kabumaru is Kubuto after he absorbed Orochimaru's cells. I just prefer calling him Kabumaru rather than Kabutomaru. And yes, my version is creepy. But not as creepy as he will be in time. LMAO! Glad you enjoyed the chapter.

**Mudcake** - Sakura has a plan. But the question is, can any plan work against overwhelming power? We will find out.

**MusicBlueLove**r - Still not a big fan of NejixIno? Sigh...that's fine I guess. But at least you liked his proposal. And yes, Sakura's moment has come.

**Silver Senpai** - Thanx.

**KiiroiSenkou** - Thanx. Glad you enjoyed it.

**Sazan** - Plot hole? Are you talking about the fact that I chose not to show thier fight? If so, there were several reasons for that. To properly show the fight it would take up a whole chapter. I didn't want to devote a chapter to that. Also, I wanted to show the overwhelming power Kubumaru had at his disposal in a subtle way. By skipping ahead to show danzo's complete defeat I think I was able to convey that. And finally there is one other reason, which I can't say. But in time, when this story is over if you think about it, i'm sure that reason will become clear.

**Konoha's Crimson Fox** - Lol! He's doing it as a favor to me. He doesn't like NS as he's stated so often. Naruto likes to push things to the edge. It makes things more interesting. Sakura will be fine...sorta...kinda...maybe...no.

**SenninClaudio** - Yes, I did give my word. but i have a good reason I missed my update last week. You'll see. I wonder how many others believe as you and Sazan, that skipping ahead in the Danzo fight wasn't a good idea? In the manga, Sakura would lose. But that's because Kishi hasn't improved her as he should have. But in my story, Sakura is stronger, smarter and more resourceful. Remember, though she lost to Sasuke in my story, she did put up a hell of a fight.

**hothead11** - Lol! One thing I wanted to do was show that Naruto can fly, yes, but that it wasnt simply flying like Superman. Remember, he needed to be launched in the air first and then he could propel himself by releasing massive tornados from his fists. But that technique is only temporary. It's not like he could fly to Suna. Glad you liked the chapter.

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MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR

Ok, so I am well aware I missed another week and unfortunately the reason for that is several things: 1. Things at my job has gotten busier, leaving me less time to goof off and write at work. 2. As things wind down I'm finding that I need to make my chapters longer. 3. Other things that come up have taken some focus away from my writing as well. As a result I've decided to make the remainder of this fic Bi-weekly. Now I will try to write and get my chapters out weekly if time permits. But most likely it will take me two weeks to properly finish a chapter. One good thing is that the chapters will at least be longer. So it's not a bad trade off. Sorry guys. But this can't be helped. Now, here is chapter 32 of my fic. Please remember to leave a little review once finsihed and thanks again for reading. **500 REVIEWS! YAY! I WONDER IF I CAN MAKE IT TO 700 BEFORE THIS STORY IS OVER?**

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XXXII: The Cherry Blossom Blooms

_******Hokage Mansion******_

"Are you sure," Tsunade yelled to the ninja who stood before her and the other elders.

"Yes Lady Hokage," the ninja responded. "Akatsuki forces are making their way into the village via an underground network."

"It must be the entrances ROOT uses," Homura said.

"You don't think Danzo had anything to do with this," Koharu said.

"Who knows," Homura said. "I thought Danzo and I were of like mind when it came to Konoha. But it seems increasingly clear that I was mistaken."

"One thing's for sure, it can't be a coincidence that Danzo disappears just before Akatsuki attacked," Tsunade said. "Reinforce the guard and get more men to the hospital. We have countless injured there."

"Already taken care of Lady Hokage," the ninja said. "Yamanaka Ino, Hyuga Neji and Inuzuka Kiba have already helped organize a defensive parameter. And Naruto's Toad summonses are already pushing the enemy back."

"Excellent," Tsunade said. "Keep me notified." The ninja saluted and ran off.

"Have any of you received any info on Danzo's location," Tsunade asked Homura and Koharu.

"No," Koharu responded. "All of our men have turned up no sign of him. It's as if he just disappeared."

"Lady Hokage," Inoichi said as he walked up. "We've just received an update from all the Divisions."

"Right," Tsunade said anxiously. "How does it look out there?"

"Thanks to the efforts of the Alliance forces we were able to defeat the bulk of Madara's army," Inoichi said. "The remaining either escaped or were killed during the Biju's rampage. Yamato was gravely injured and lost his left leg in the process. But only a third of his forces have been confirmed K.I.A. The sensor division took some casualties but nothing major. However, Hiashi Hyuga was killed. Eye witnesses, including his second daughter, Hanabi, confirm that he appointed Hinata as his replacement before his death. Hinata was also badly wounded but is expected to recover fully."

"Both the Raikage and Kazekage received non-life threatening injuries," Inoichi said. "We believe Kurenai's division was the worst hit. Estimates suggest she lost nearly seventy five percent of her people. We'll have a full casualty roster put together once Masumi and the rest of the Medical Division returns."

"Masumi," Tsunade asked. "Why is she leading the medical division back? Where is Sakura?"

"According to Masumi, Sakura left her in charge after she saw Naruto head out into the field," Inoichi said.

"I see," Tsunade said. "Keep me apprised of the situation and order all the Captains to make sure that they keep every ninja capable of fighting out to guard the perimeter."

"Right," Inoichi said as he walked away.

"Hmmm, that was interesting," Homura said.

"What," Tsunade asked.

"You were just told that your precious apprentice decided to stay on the battlefield alone and you barely bat an eye," Homura said.

"She is not my apprentice," Tsunade said as she and Koharu continued to poor over the documents scattered on the table.

Homura chuckled and said, "Right, of course you she isn't. Nevertheless, aren't you the least bit concerned?"

"Is there a reason I should be," Tsunade asked. "Sakura can handle what ever comes her way."

"Can she," Homura asked. "Granted she performed quite well leading the Medical Division, but healing is far different than doing battle. Is she really equipped to fight?"

Annoyed, Tsunade looked up at Homura and asked. "Why do you ask Homura? Is it because you and Danzo spent all you're time spying on me? Is it because you know that I stopped training Sakura almost a year ago?"

Homura paused as he seemed a bit taken aback. "What," Tsunade asked. "You think I didn't know you kept constant surveillance on me? Of course I did. Just as I am sure you knew that I would know about it."

Tsunade stared at Homura and then smiled as a realization came to him. "Wait," she said. "Don't tell me that you two thought that I stopped teaching Sakura because I didn't want you to see my advanced techniques? Ha! I knew you were both morons! Homura I didn't stop teaching her because of that. I stopped because I had nothing left to teach her. Like I said, Haruno Sakura is no longer my apprentice. She's capable of handling anything that comes her way. So I have no reason to be concerned. Now can we please focus on what's really important?"

Just then they all heard the sound of slow clapping. Everyone in the room turned to where they heard the sound and much to their amazement, standing in a darkened corner of the room, stood Madara. "Very well said Tsunade," he said as he walked towards her. "Very well said indeed."

_******Meanwhile******_

Kisame looked at the kunai Sakura had just thrown and then back to Sakura herself and smiled. "Alright princess," Kisame said. "I guess I can spare a few minutes." Sakura instantly went on the offensive, running around, throwing kunai after kunai at Kisame.

Kisame tried to block the first kunai, but when it struck his sword, Samehada yelped in pain and the force of the blow knocked him back. "What the," Kisame whispered as he dodged the next few kunai and began to run with Sakura in pursuit. Kisame looked at where the kunai struck Samehada and he could see an indentation. _That kunai pierced Samehada_, he thought. _Samehada should have been able to absorb the chakra from it. What's going on here!_

Again several more kunai came flying at Kisame, forcing him to begin running and dodging. Sakura sprinted off in pursuit of Kisame and eventually she caught up and was running along side him throwing kunai after kunai. Kisame continued to run, dodging every kunai he could and blocking the others with Samehada. But every time a kunai struck Samehada he noticed it would yelp in pain_. How is she doing this and where is she getting all these kunai from_, Kisame thought as he continued to run and dodge Sakura's continuous onslaught.

Suddenly a realization dawned d on him and Kisame made several hand signs and took a deep breath. "Water Release: Water Shark Bullet!" Kisame then spat out a large blast of water that took the form of a shark and it hurtled towards Sakura.

"Shit," Sakura yelled as she leapt up and over the attack as it slammed into a tree behind her, toppling it. Sakura landed on a branch of a nearby tree and saw Kisame standing on a branch of a tree across from her with a wide grin on his face.

"I get it now," he said. "I was wondering where you keep getting all those kunai from and now I get it. You have a summoning seal stitched into both sides of the belt on your waist. Also, I thought you were using a technique similar to Killer Bee's technique where you charge your kunai with chakra to increase its attack power. But that's not accurate is it? You distribute your chakra into your muscles, increasing your throwing power."

"Hmmm," Sakura said with a smile while at the same time, summoning two more kunai. "You're pretty smart for someone who looks like a complete meathead. But knowing my technique is different that actually defeating it."

"You're pretty cocky," Kisame said. "Look's like I need to put you in your place!" Kisame suddenly launched himself at Sakura who quickly threw the two kunai at him. Kisame blocked the first kunai, but the second one slammed into his upper shoulder with enough force to launch him back and to the ground far below.

Sakura quickly closed in with another kunai, hoping to stab him in the heart but Kisame countered quickly. He used his free hand to put his sword in front of him, blocking her attack. Sakura instantly felt Samehada draining her chakra and leapt away allowing Kisame to get to his feet.

Kisame grimaced as he pulled the kunai from his shoulder and threw it to the ground. Sakura could see his wound instantly begin to heal as she drew two more kunai. "Nice try," Kisame said with a smirk. "But you can't win this fight. My chakra is limitless. And your little kunai trick can't help you!"

Kisame again sprinted towards Sakura who prepared for his assault. Kisame swung his sword at her head but Sakura was just able to duck. He then swung it down, hoping to crush her but she rolled away and dodged again. Kisame then swung behind him but she leapt back and threw her kunai at him while in midair. Kisame blocked both attacks and leapt towards her.

Again he swung his sword at her head and again she ducked, but this time Kisame was ready and he kicked low, striking Sakura and knocking her back and to the ground. "It's over," Kisame yelled as he raised his sword, prepared to end the fight.

Sakura rolled to her left just as Kisame's sword came down and she followed with a kick, sweeping Kisame off his feet. Sakura quickly back flipped up and sprinted at Kisame who was unable to dodge in time as she buried two kunai deep into his chest and drove him back and into a nearby tree. Much to her surprise she saw Kisame smile before turning into water and falling to the floor. _Water clone_, Sakura thought in shock as Kisame appeared behind her and kicked her away.

Sakura crashed hard to the floor. She had heard that Kisame was strong. But it felt like she had been kicked in the gut by pure concrete. Sakura forced herself to her feet as she saw Kisame standing watching her with a broad smile on his face. It was clear this was sport for him.

Once satisfied that she was back on her feet Kisame again sprinted towards Sakura. Sakura was suddenly taken aback by Kisame's sudden increase in speed. _He wasn't moving this fast before_, Sakura thought as she dodged Kisame's first and second strike. Sakura quickly summoned two more kunai and countered, thrusting towards Kisame and forcing him back.

Kisame smiled as he dodged and blocked each attack but he suddenly felt like something was wrong. His vision was becoming blurred and his limbs heavy. Suddenly he felt one of Sakura's kunai pierce his stomach. Kisame swung his sword violently, forcing Sakura back before falling to one knee. Kisame was sweating and his mouth was dry. He looked up to see Sakura smiling. "Bitch," he yelled. "What did you do to me!"

"Each of my kunai is laced with a new poison of my own creation," Sakura said. "Do you like it? I honestly expected the affects to kick in much sooner but you're a tough one."

Kisame laughed as he felt Samehada pass along more chakra. He could feel the affects begin to slowly fade. "Idiot," he said as he got to his feet. "My Samehada will keep giving me chakra it steals from you to heal me of your poison."

"I know," Sakura said. "I don't expect it to kill you. But it will slow you down." Sakura then sprinted at Kisame as he raised his sword and ran towards her.

"Slow me down huh," Kisame yelled. "We'll see about that!" Kisame swung Samehada at Sakura who quickly leapt and flipped over Kisame and threw her kunai while in mid air. Both kunai hit their target, embedding into his back and pitching him forward and down to the ground. Sakura was right; his sword was healing him from the poison's effects but not fast enough. Kisame was slowing down. Sakura summoned two more kunai as she landed and threw them at Kisame. He was able to block the first but the second struck him in the arm.

Kisame got to his feet. His eyes had a wild look to them as he said, "You….little….BITCH! You're dead! Do you understand! DEAD!" Kisame didn't even bother to remove the kunai as he made several hand signs and spat out several blasts of water each taking the form of a shark. Sakura jumped forward and rolled under the first shark and leapt over the second. The third shark came flying at her forcing her jump to the left but as she did so, to her surprise, Kisame appeared from inside the water and struck her in her side with his sword sending Sakura flying back.

Sakura hit the ground with a thud and lay motionless for a moment. Kisame sprinted at her, intent on giving her no time to recover. Sakura's eyes opened quickly and she fought to get her self to her feet. Summoning two more kunai she raised them above her head just in time to block Samehada as Kisame swung it down. Sakura's arms nearly went numb from the impact of Kisame's strike.

Kisame smiled wickedly as he pushed harder and harder, forcing Samehada to bear down upon Sakura. "It's over bitch," he said. "Are you regretting not taking the Nine Tails' help?"

Sakura gritted her teeth as she desperately fought back but her strength was beginning to give out. Not only wasn't she trained to maintain a constant stream of chakra to her muscles for this long, but Kisame's sword was beginning to drain her.

"Do you know what your mistake was," Kisame said. "You foolishly assumed that your little trick would work against me. You foolishly thought you could be a challenge to me. And, you're biggest mistake of all?" Kisame suddenly pulled back with incredible speed and swung down towards Sakura. Sakura responded by instantly dropping her kunai and placing her right hand under the armguard on her left arm and as she did so there was a small puff of white smoke.

Kisame brought his sword crashing down through the smoke and yelled, "Your mistake was bringing kunai to sword fight!" Kisame was surprised however when his Samehada was blocked in mid strike. As the smoke cleared he was able to see Sakura had summoned a new weapon. It was a large single sided battle axe. The blade and hilt was as long as her wingspan and the blade was polished to a high shine.

With Kisame momentarily taken off guard, Sakura pushed him back and off balance and with one sweeping motion slashed him across the chest. Kisame, leapt back to put distance between them and instantly covered his wound with his free hand. "You're just full of surprises aren't you," Kisame said as he glared viciously at Sakura.

"Are you going to talk," Sakura asked. "Or are we going to fight?"

_******Meanwhile******_

Naruto continued to sprint through the woods as he made his way to the chakra signature in the distance. As he continued running however, his pace began to gradually slow from sprinting to walking until he finally came to a complete stop next to a large oak tree. Naruto looked to he ground in deep thought as he placed his hand on the tree. His entire body was tense as he fought through the conflicting emotions raging within him.

Part of him knew that everything Sakura said was right. There was a part of him that was screaming for him to forge ahead to where Sasuke waited. He knew, in his heart, the moment had come for them to put all things to right. But then there was an equal part of him telling him that despite what Sakura said, he shouldn't have left her alone. _Sakura_, he thought as his fingers dug into the bark of the tree.

"What's wrong Naruto boy," Lady Shima asked.

"She has a plan doesn't she," he asked. As if not really speaking to her at all. It was almost if he were trying to convince himself. "She has too right? Sakura is many things but she isn't reckless. If she planned all along to fight Kisame in my place then she has to have some way of winning, right?"

"Sakura-girl isn't stupid," Shima said. "She's knows what she's doing."

"But still, this isn't just any opponent." Naruto replied. "This is the legendary Monster of the Hidden Mist. A man so powerful he was given the nickname, 'The Tailed Beast without a Tail'. Would any plan Sakura came up with be enough. What if…..? What if…something…? How could I ever forgive myself if…..?"

Naruto was completely torn. But before he could come to a decision it seemed fate made one for him. Just out of the corner of his eye Naruto caught an object being thrown his way so fast he had no time to dodge. Before it could strike, one of Naruto's clones appeared behind him and pulled him out of the way and was hit with the attack, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

_Chakra infused kunai_, Naruto thought as more and more kunai were thrown at him forcing him to duck and dodge each attack. _Wait, those aren't kunai. It's pure chakra given form. Damn how could I get so lost in thought that I allowed someone to sneak up on me? _

Naruto quickly located his attacker and said, "You might as well come out Karin."

Karin appeared out of the shadows and pushed back her hood revealing her face. Naruto stared at her for moment and noted a difference in her face. The last time he saw her there was a cockiness to her. There was usually an air of unbridled confidence and a lack of fear. But now, there was a hint of indecisiveness, he could see fear in her eyes despite how she glared at him. But above else, he could sense sadness emanating from her chakra.

"What are you doing here," Naruto asked.

"What do you think I'm doing here," Karin asked. "You are my enemy. I'm here to defeat you!"

"No," Naruto said. "I mean why are you here alone?"

"It doesn't matter," Karin said as Naruto could see she was fighting back tears. "I am Akatsuki. I can fight! I can prove myself to Sasuke-kun!"

_Prove yourself to Sasuke_, Naruto thought. Naruto stared at Karin and didn't see a warrior. He saw a woman in pain. A familiar pain he had seen in Sakura so often. Karin created two more chakra blades and readied herself to fight when much to her surprise Naruto simply turned and began to walk away.

"Where are you going," Karin yelled.

"Sasuke sent you here to throw your life away so that he could prove a point," Naruto said. "But I don't plan to play that game."

"That's not it at all," Karin yelled. It was at that moment when she recalled what had happened.

_******Some Distance Away – Several minutes ago******_

_Karin followed Sasuke in complete silence as they made their way through the woods. Several times they had come across Alliance ninja so far and each time Sasuke efficiently and coldly dispatched them and continued on his way. All the while he remained completely silent as he focused on the task at hand. _

_A few minutes had gone by as they continued on their way when, much to her surprise they saw Sakura sprinting by, just ahead of them. Equally surprised, Sakura came to a stop and walked out into the clearing. "Sasuke," she said._

_The two spoke for a brief moment as Karin chose to remain silent. Why? Even she didn't know fully. But there was something about the way they spoke. There was finality in their words. Near the end of their brief conversation Sakura looked to Karin and she found herself unwilling to meet her gaze. Just then there was the sound of an explosion nearby. The large water dome suddenly shattered. Karin could sense Naruto's chakra coming from that direction. _

_Sakura suddenly turned and without hesitation ran off in that direction. Karin began to run after when she noticed Sasuke had stopped and instead he walked over to a fallen tree and sat down. _

"_What are you doing," she asked. "We should follow her. Naruto clearly has gone to fight Kisame. We can take advantage and overwhelm him."_

"_No," Sasuke said. "I don't need to chase Naruto. He will come to me."_

"_How can you be so sure," Karin asked. But Sasuke didn't answer. _

"_I don't understand," Karin said. "We can take him down now if you join up with Kisame. We can use it to our advantage! Why wait for him to come to us and give him an advantage?"_

"_Because it doesn't matter what advantage he has," Sasuke said. "He will lose. I am stronger than Naruto." Sasuke then stared at Karin with a hard glare and asked, "Don't you agree?"_

_Karin paused momentarily before saying, "Of course I do. It's just….."_

_Sasuke then said, "Karin…..I want you to leave."_

_Karin paused for a moment before asking, "Leave? Ok, what do you need me to do?"_

"_Need," Sasuke asked as he leaned back and stared into the sky. "No. You misunderstand me. I mean I want you to leave. I don't need anything from you anymore. I don't care where you go or what you do."_

_Karin felt like she had been punched in the face. He merely stood there staring at him like it was all some sick nightmare that wouldn't end. "B…but why," she asked as tears streamed down her face. "I don't understand Sasuke."_

"_What's so difficult to understand," Sasuke said casually. "I don't need someone like you anymore. I've grown tired of having to drag you around. Why should I do that when you don't even believe in my strength? You were a tool. You have done your job. But now everything will end today. So you are no longer needed."_

"_A tool," Karin said as she grew more and more upset. "Is that all I've been to you! All I've ever been! After all the years I've stood at your side and done anything you asked! Even after the nights we shared!"_

_Sasuke sighed and leaned forward and finally looked Karin in the eye. "What did I tell you when I first recruited you," he asked. "Your purpose was to be an instrument for my revenge. And as an instrument you have performed up to you masters expectations. Isn't that your purpose? You have done your job. No, you did more than what was expected. But now your job is done and your services are no longer required?"_

_Karin found her whole body shook with anger, frustration and grief. "So that's it then," she asked. "Thanks for everything. Now go!"_

"_Karin," Sasuke said. "I have no interest in explaining myself to an instrument that is of no use to me. Leave now or I will kill you."_

_Karin's eyes grew wide as she stared at Sasuke. She could see the same malice in his eyes that he had when he stared at an enemy before they died. Despite how annoyed and even angry he seemed by her at times he never….ever….looked at her like this before. He meant it. If she didn't leave he was going to kill her. _

_Karin covered her tear streaked face with her hood and turned to leave. In a fit of anger she quickly turned to him and said, "You son of a bitch! I have stood by your side and never waivered in my faith in you! No matter how badly you treated me I stayed! But now I realize that you never respected the strengths I have! You've never cared to see my strength! But I'll show you my strength! And when I'm done I know you'll finally see me the way you should have from the beginning!"_

_******Now******_

Karin stared at Naruto as he faced away from her. She was struck by the brilliance of his chakra. His chakra was as light as Sasuke's was dark. They were true Yin and Yang. "You're going to go and kill Sasuke-kun aren't you," she asked.

Naruto sighed and looked at his open palm. "For a while I was positive I was," Naruto said. "When I believed Sasuke killed Sakura all I wanted was his head. And even though she survived. Even though she's alive, my anger won't go away." Naruto clenched his fist as he continued. "My body is literary shaking with anger. So to be honest, I don't know. But I do know this. Sasuke has to learn that he was wrong. And it seems the only teacher he is willing to learn from…is pain. So I am going to hurt him. Badly."

Naruto turned to face Karin who was hugging herself as she cried and moaned. She knew, she could see it in his eyes and feel it in his chakra. Naruto was lying. He was going to kill Sasuke. And unlike the last time they fought, this time she believed he could do it.

She couldn't let that happen. Karin suddenly stopped crying and glared at Naruto with a look of determination. Naruto stared at her and seemed a bit off guard. _What is this feeling_, he thought. _I'm looking at one person yet I can feel two chakra signatures coming from her. It's low, almost unnoticeable. But something is there._

Just then Naruto saw behind Karin and in the distance, Kisame's large water dome go up. _Damn_, he thought.

Seeing that he was distracted Karin launched into an attack firing volley after volley of her chakra blades. Naruto saw the attack coming this time. Calmly, he slightly moved his head to the side as the first chakra blade whizzed by his head. He then began to dodge each blade as he swiftly made his way towards Karin.

_Damn_, Karin thought as she tried to throw as many blades as she could_. He's moving faster than I've ever seen. Even Sasuke has never moved this fast. _Within seconds Naruto was on her. He raised his hand ready to punch her and as his fist closed in a startling realization came to him that caused him to stop.

Using the opening, Karin stabbed him in the left shoulder with one of her blades. Naruto grimaced in pain and leapt back to the other side of the clearing. Karin's blade absorbed into his shoulder as he felt his arm go dead. **"Stupid boy," The Nine Tails yelled. "That's what you get for hesitating! Why would you do something so stupid!"**

"You know why I stopped," Naruto responded. "She's….!

"**She is none of your concern," The Nine Tails said. "Now finish her off so we can move on!"**

Again Karin launched several chakra blades at Naruto who to her amazement, disappeared altogether and re-appeared right behind her. Before she could react Naruto struck her in the back of the head and she immediately lost consciousness. Naruto caught her before she hit the ground and threw her over his shoulder.

A few minutes later Naruto had arrived in a small cave where he slowly placed her on the ground. He tied her by the wrists behind her back and also by the ankles and leaned her up against the walls. A few feet away he placed a kunai on the ground and walked out of the cave.

Outside Naruto looked up in the sky and took a deep breath and looked towards the large dome of water in the distance before looking in the other direction where he could feel Sasuke's chakra. Naruto then sighed and took off sprinting towards his chosen destination.

_******Konoha – The Night before the Attack******_

"_Are you sure about this Sakura-chan," TenTen asked as she slid open the large metal door. _

"_Yes," Sakura said as she followed Tenten into the large darkened room. _

"_Gimme a sec," Tenten said as she lit the nearby torches, flooding the room with light. "Look Sakura, it's not that I don't want to help you. But I'm not sure how wise it is for you to take a weapon into battle that you have little practice in."_

"_Which is why I'm looking for something simple but effective," Sakura said. "I need something that I can use with little effort yet can have major advantages." Sakura paused as she took stock of the massive storage room. "Wow."_

"_Wow is right," Tenten said with a smile. "This is the storage area for my families' weapons. All the weapons we use and also any prototypes we create are stored here. To be honest, I'm not supposed to bring you in here without my fathers' permission. So let's hurry up ok?"_

"_Right, right," Sakura said. Sakura began to look about as Tenten followed. _

"_How about this," Tenten yelled as she held up a massive scythe. "You could be like a grim reaper!"_

"_Ummm no," Sakura said as she looked at the scythe and waived her hands nervously. Tenten shrugged as she threw the scythe off to the side and continued to look around. _

_Sakura felt the ground shake and turned to see Tenten pushing a giant metal ball towards Sakura. "Ah," Sakura yelled as the ball came to stop inches from her face. _

"_How about this one Sakura," Tenten said. _

"_What the hell is this," Sakura yelled._

"_It's called a Jidanda," Tenten yelled. "I know it looks weird but trust me this things is awesome! It fires exploding tags and it has spikes!" Tenten flipped a switch and the spikes popped out. One spike popped out right between Sakura's eyes, less than an inch from her face. Panicked, Sakura backed away and felt like she was about to have a heart attack. _

"_Not only that," Tenten said. "You can swing this bad boy around. Just think about the damage you could do with your massive strength!"_

"_No," Sakura yelled. "Tenten I said I needed something simple, like a sword or an axe!"_

_Confused Tenten looked at Sakura and then at the massive weapon. "But this is simple," she said as she scratched her head. "For me anyway. Ok, so you want a simple weapon huh?"_

_Sakura then noticed Tenten staring at her. "What," she asked._

"_If I didn't know any better I'd say you were looking for a specific weapon for a specific target," Tenten said. "What's going on here Sakura?"_

"_I…just need something to give me a bit of an edge out there," Sakura said. She then looked at a nearby table and saw a sash sitting there. She picked it up and looked it over. "What's this. It's not some type of bomb is it?"_

_Tenten laughed. "Nope," she said. "It's something my mom made. It's a sash with summon tags stitched into it so she could summon weapons easily. But she didn't like it cuz it could only summon small arms like kunai. And my mom only likes big weapons. She likes to overdo things."_

"_Hmmm," Sakura said as she looked the sash over. It was then something caught her eye and she looked up to see a large weapon hanging on a hook on the wall. "What's that," Sakura said. _

"_Oh, you like that huh," Tenten said proudly. "This was something I was working on a few months back. It's amazing but unfortunately it's hard to carry around. If I could get around that it would be a great thing to use."_

"_Hey Tenten," Sakura said. "You wouldn't happen to have a summon tag capable of summoning this would you?" Tenten smiled deviously as she considered Sakura's question._

_******Land of Fire - Now******_

Kisame began a slow laugh that grew to raucous laughter. Kisame had been a swordsman since he could walk. He had been trained to size up an opponent with just a glance. This woman's stance was slightly off and she was holding the axe slightly wrong. She wasn't trained in the use of this specific weapon. Kisame smiled and sprinted towards Sakura and swung his sword. Sakura blocked the attack but the force of the blow nearly knocked her off her feet.

Kisame used the brief opening to attack and slashed at her, just catching her in the shoulder and forcing her back. Kisame smiled as he saw Sakura's hands wobbling slightly. _Just a bit more pressure_, he thought.

Kisame moved in ready to end it but Sakura suddenly gripped the axe tight and swung to meet Kisame's attack with as much force as she could. Samehada screamed in pain as the axe struck into its side and Kisame staggered from the blow. Sakura used the opening and kicked Kisame with as much force as she could. Kisame was launched back and through a tree and crashed to the floor.

Sakura closed in swinging at Kisame before he could get to his feet. Again, Kisame blocked, but again Samehada screamed in pain from Sakura's blow. Staggered, Sakura knocked Samehada out of the way and slashed her axe down into Kisame's shoulder and chest. But to her surprise, Kisme turned to water and fell to the ground. "Water Clone," Sakura yelled as Kisame leapt down from a tree above her and sliced her in half.

But Sakura exploded in a puff of and was replaced by a log. _What the_, Kisame thought as he felt a sharp pain in his back. Sakura was behind him and had thrown one of her kunai, catching him in the back and launching him forward.

Kisame slowly got to his feet and pulled the kunai that was buried to the hilt, out of his shoulder. Kisame turned to face Sakura who seemed worn down and guarding her injured arm. "You sure have a lot of tricks," Kisame said as he felt Samehada pouring chakra into him. With a smile Kisame said, "Let's see if you have a trick for this!"

Kisame made several hand signs and suddenly sank underground. Sakura's eyes went wide as she saw him disappear and she quickly switched her axe to her left hand. She winced in pain as the weight of the axe hurt her injured arm. She then summoned a kunai into her right hand. _All right_, she thought. _I hope his works. _

All Sakura could see was the tip of Samehada that protruded like a dorsal fin out of the ground as Kisame closed in on her. Sakura readied herself as Kisame swam towards her, zigzagging as he closed in. Kisame closed in and just as she was about to strike he seemed to disappear and then launch out of the ground behind her. Sakura tried to twist out of the way but Kisame struck her in the upper leg causing blood to gush everywhere.

Sakura crashed to the ground, still holding on to her axe. Her body was now wracked in pain as blood flowed from the large wound on her leg and arm. And the dull ache from her old wound on her back began to thump in pain.

Slowly Sakura began to pick herself up as she gritted her teeth and fought through the pain. Her vision was fading as she saw Kisame laughing as he watched her. Sakura got to her feet and lifted her axe.

"So you want some more," Kisame said. "Fine." Again Kisame made several hand signs and sunk into the ground and attacked. Sakura again put her axe in her left hand and summoned a kunai in her right.

Kisame moved in and Sakura raised her hand and again Kisame seemed to vanish. But this time Sakura quickly turned behind her and punched the ground with all her might. The ground shattered and chunks of it flew up into the air. And much to his surprise, Kisame was shot up into the air as well. Sakura quickly threw her kunai as Kisame was in the air forcing him to block it. But this left him open and Sakura swung her axe, slicing him in the stomach and nearly cutting him in half as his body was launched back.

Kisame's motionless body crashed to the ground as Sakura fell to her knees in pain. She quickly began to heal her body as quickly as she could when she saw Kisame begin to move. "No way," she whispered when she realized his sword was still touching him.

Desperate, Sakura began to concentrate and suddenly the purple diamond over her heart began to glow and spread out into a pattern over her chest and all her wounds began to quickly heal. However Sakura felt a sharp pain from the wound in her back that nearly made her pass out.

As the pain subsided Sakura's vision began to clear just in time to see a smiling Kisame rise to his feet. Sakura grabbed her axe and got to her feet defiantly as Kisame watched as her wounds healed. "My, my, my, aren't you just full of surprises," Kisame remarked. "I have to hand it to you; you are far more interesting that I thought you'd be."

Suddenly Samehada began to make a terrifying sound. "Fufufufufu," it sounded as it began to grow and Sakura saw a large mouth with sharp, shark-like teeth. Sakura stared in amazement at the sword. Lady Konan had described Samehada to her in full detail. But nothing could prepare her for seeing it in person.

"Are you impressed," Kisame said with a smile. "Well, if you like what you see then you are going to love this." Suddenly the sword began to merge with Kisame and he began to take on a more shark-like appearance.

Sakura gasped and stabbed her axe into the ground in front of her. She quickly wiped some of the blood on her arm onto her palm and made several hand signs and slammed her open palm onto the ground just as Kisame completed his transformation. "Summoning Jutsu," Sakura yelled as Kisame spat out a massive wave of water.

As the smoke cleared Sakura was standing on the head of her large Summon Slug as the wave of water headed towards her. "Kotetsu, are you ready," Sakura asked.

"Yes Sakura-sama," Kotetsu said just as the water crashed into them.

_******Meanwhile******_

"You," Tsunade yelled as every guard ran and placed themselves in front of Tsunade and the other elders. "Why have you come here Madara Uchiha!"

"Oh," Madara said. "So you know who I am? Good. This makes things easier then."

Suddenly two ninja appeared on either side of Madara and made several hand signs and two large scrolls appeared and wrapped around Madara's body. A third ninja appeared behind and made a hand sign and a beam of light appeared from both hands that extended to the other two ninja forming a triangle of light around Madara.

Calmly Madara looked about and asked, "A new version of the Three Directions Seal? Interesting. I may have to take this one."

"Enough games Madara," Homura said. "Why are you here!"

"Calm down," Madara said. "I didn't' come here to fight. In fact all I've ever wanted to do was avoid senseless fighting. I came here to talk. Although, I must admit I did not come here to speak to any of you. I've looked about the entire village but I can't seem to locate your Hokage. Where is Shimura Danzo?"

_So Danzo really has left the village_, Tsunade thought. "His location is none of your concern," Tsunade said. "If you have something to say then say it to me!"

Madara stared at Tsunade in silence for a moment and then asked, "You don't know where he is either, do you? Hmm, it seems he's run off hasn't he? Tch! That bastard was always someone I couldn't trust."

"Wait," Koharu said, "Are you saying Danzo was in league with Akatsuki?"

Madara stared at Koharu and said, "Yes of course. It was through my machinations that he eventually became Hokage." Madara sighed and said, "And all he had to do was follow my orders when I gave them. Instead all he pays me back with is incompetence and betrayal."

"Why are you here Madara," Tsunade asked.

"Hmm, I would think that would be obvious," Madara said. "I've come to retrieve the Nine Tails. Hand him over and I will put an end to my war against you."

Tsunade laughed and said, "You've got to be kidding? I thought you were crazy but now I know you're insane as well. Look around you Madara! Your army has been laid to waste and your secret weapon has been beaten back. You're done! And now you come here trying to make this request!"

"Why do you say it like that," Madara asked. "You refer to my releasing the Biju as if it was my last resort. Do you really think I would show myself to you like this if it was?"

Tsunade remained quiet as she considered her options. One thing was clear, Madara was insane but he wasn't stupid. He clearly had at least one more trick up his sleeve. "The Nine Tails," Madara said. "Where is he? Hand him over to me know and I will go easy on you."

"Hollow threats," Tsunade said. "That mask can't hide the desperation in your voice Madara. You've lost. And you know it as much as everyone else in this room. So your threats are hollow. As hollow and meaningless as the seal we've placed in hopes of holding you."

Madara cocked his head slightly as Tsunade continued, "Yes, I am well aware of your ability and that this seal can't hold you. But it doesn't matter. You're failure here today will be your final undoing. Because now you're enemy isn't just Konoha. But now you are enemy of the world. It doesn't matter where you go because we will find you. You can run but we will chase you. Hide underground and we will dig you up."

"And you know the most ironic thing about it is Madara," Tsunade said. "The one to lead the hunt will be the one you have sought after so badly. Namikaze Naruto will lead us. He will find you and defeat you. Because he is stronger than you Madara. Because our faith in him and in ourselves will give us a strength you could never hope to match."

"I see," Madara said. "So you think that because you defeat a few insignificant humans. And because your little savior batted down a few Biju that it proves him to be the strongest ninja to walk the earth? I see that the so called Will of Fire that Hashirama called it, which is nothing more than an honorable way to refer to your own arrogance, still burns quite bright."

"Allow me to enlighten you," Madara said. "Your little savior might be strong. But the strongest? I have faced the strongest and I still live while they do not." Much to everyone's surprise Madara began to walk right through the seal surrounding him and he slowly began to walk towards Tsunade. "Do you know what the problem with your belief in the Will of Fire is? It forces you to never admit your limitations. An admirable quality, but one that could also lead to bitter ends."

Madara continued to slowly walk towards Tsunade as ninja after ninja tried to attack him and throw themselves in their way only for Madara to pass harmlessly through them. "I mean look at these fools who surround you," he said. "They continue to throw themselves at me even though they know it's meaningless and in the end all they can do is watch helplessly as I do as I wish. But this could have all been avoided if you all simply admitted your limitations. But your Will of Fire would not allow such a thing."

Madara passed harmlessly through the last of the guards and came only inches from Tsunade. "And now all they can do is watch helplessly as another of their Hokage is killed," he said.

"I don't fear you Madara" Tsunade said defiantly. "We will defeat you. Naruto will defeat you."

"Because he's stronger than me right," Madara said. "Oh Tsunade, so beautiful. You of all people should know that no matter how strong you are, all men…have a weakness." Madara disappeared leaving his cryptic words hanging in the silent room.

_******Meanwhile******_

Sakura fought to get her bearings after the water slammed into her and Kotetsu. After a brief moment Sakura was able to look around and see Kisame floating some distance away in the murky water. For a while he just stayed floating, looking at her with a big grin on his face and then, he suddenly took off, swimming at her at tremendous speed.

Sakura was still standing on Kotetsu and as she looked down she sent a silent message to her summon. _Now Kotetsu!_

Kisame closed in and then watched as Sakura was absorbed into the large slug. "Ha," he said. "You think hiding inside your summon matters! I'll just destroy it and force you out!"

From inside Kotetsu, Sakura took a deep breath. "Are you alright Sakura-sama," Kotetsu asked.

"Yes," Sakura said. "Thank you Kotetsu. Are you ready?"

"Yes, but please remember that I only have a limited supply of oxygen," Kotetsu said. "We need to finish this quickly Sakura-sama."

"Right," Sakura said as she could sense Kisame closing in. "Alright Kotetsu….split and divide!"

Kisame roared as he raised his hand, prepared to slice into Kotetsu with his claws when to his surprise the large beast divided its body into hundreds of smaller versions of itself and began swimming around Kisame in a circle. "What the," Kisame said as he tried to figure out what was happening. Suddenly a kunai flew out from one of the bodies of Kotetsu and impaled Kisame in the stomach. Kisame yelled in pain as blood poured from the wound.

Kisame pulled the kunai out and the wound began to heal when another kunai flew at him, impaling him in the shoulder and then another striking him in the leg. "Damn it," Kisame yelled in pain and frustration. _She's hiding in one of the bodies of that slug and is attacking before I can locate her_, Kisame thought. _And I can't sense her chakra! Her chakra must be identical to her summon so I can't tell them apart. _

Again another kunai flew out and struck him in his back. "Enough," Kisame yelled as he pulled the kunai out. Kisame began to slice at every slug he could. _I'll just take them out one at a time if I have to_, he thought.

"Are you ready Sakura-sama," Kotetsu asked.

Sakura gripped her axe tightly and said, "Let's do this!" Sakura then shot out of one of the slugs towards Kisame whose back was turned. Kisame turned as he sensed her but wasn't fast enough as she sliced him in the side with her axe as she swam by and entered the body of another slug.

Kisame was infuriated. Now she was launching herself like a missile out of one slug body, attacking him before he could react before she re-entered another slug. Again she attacked, slicing him in the upper back before being reabsorbed by another slug that continued to circle him.

Kisame looked about frantically, Samehada was releasing a massive amount of chakra to continuously heal the wounds she was inflicting, not to mention the amount of chakra needed to maintain this form. He could feel Samehada weakening, which would mean it would need to start feeding on his chakra to sustain itself.

Again Sakura flew out of a slug and tried to cut Kisame in half. Kisame was just fast enough to dodge and only receive a deep but not lethal wound before Sakura entered another slug. Inside the slug Sakura could tell the oxygen stored inside was getting thin. _Kotetsu is using tons of chakra to extract the oxygen from the water for she and I to breathe_, Sakura thought. _I need to hit Kisame with a lethal blow. His wounds aren't healing much at all. His sword must be reaching its limits._ Just as Sakura prepared to attack again she felt a paralyzing pain from the scar on her back that nearly caused her to lose consciousness.

"Are you alright Sakura-sama," Kotetsu asked. But Sakura didn't answer. "Sakura-sama!"

"Y…yes Kotetsu, I'm fine," Sakura finally said as the pain subsided. _What's going on_, she thought. _Why won't this wound heal? Why is the pain getting worse. It won't heal even after I released the chakra seal._

"Sakura-sama," Kotetsu said. "We need to finish him. My chakra is getting low."

"Right," Sakura said as she focused on the task at hand.

"All right," Kisame said as he was still surrounded by slugs swimming around him. "I've had enough of this!" Kisame then made several hand signs and said, "Water Release: A Thousand Feeding Sharks!" Kisame created a thousand sharks out of the surrounding water that instantly attacked the slugs that surrounded him.

"Please hurry Sakura-sama," Kotetsu yelled frantically. "His sharks are going to defeat me!"

Sakura waited until she was directly behind Kisame and then launched herself out of the slug towards him. Her axe was raised as she closed in as he remained unaware. _I got him_, she thought. _I got him!_

But as she closed in she felt another spasm of pain from the scar on her back that caused her to pause. Fighting through the pain she swung the axe at Kisame, but the momentary hesitation allowed one of his sharks to grab the axe in its teeth and snap through it. Kisame quickly turned and grabbed the shocked Sakura by the neck. "Got ya," he said as he squeezed.

Sakura frantically fought to get free of Kisame's grasp to no avail. She could feel her strength fading as she felt Kisame absorbing her chakra. "I was planning to kill you quickly," Kisame said. "But now I'd rather see die slowly." Sakura's limbs were getting heavy and her lungs were on fire and screaming for air. "Did you know that drowning can be one of the most agonizing ways to die. You feel helpless as you fight to hold your breath. But eventually your body betrays you and you gasp for air. But only there is none and your lungs quickly fill with water."

_I'm going to die_, Sakura thought as she knew she was moments away from gasping for air hat was not there. _I'm actually going to die! No! I…..I don't want to die! I don't wan to die! _

They say your life flashes before your eyes as you are about to die. It is a feeling Sakura has felt before. And as she recalls the moments of her life she can't help but think of Naruto. Not of the times they shared. But of the times they were supposed to share.

He promised that he would survive. He promised that he would live. That they would be together forever. And now, she was going to die. _No_, she thought. _I can't die! You….you have to die! _Suddenly Sakura felt a sharp pain in the scar on her back. The pain was as powerful as she had ever felt and just as it came it was replaced by a sudden calm. If she could have somehow looked at the scar on her back she would see it begin to heal.

Kisame looked at Sakura's face in confusion. Her eyes were closed and her body was completely still. _Is she dead_, he wondered. _No, I'm still absorbing chakra from her. And Her heart is beating. What's going on? _Just then Kisame felt a spasm of pain that reverberated throughout his entire body. It was a pain unlike anything he'd ever felt that seemed to come from every organ and tissue in his body.

Suddenly Kisame spat up blood and his skin began to look as if it were trying to tear away from him. A strange bestial sound arose from the skin itself as Kisame let go of Sakura who floated back and was caught by one of Kotetsu's miniature slug bodies.

_Samehada_, Kisame thought. _What's wrong with Samehada!_ At that moment, as if in answer to his question Samehada tore itself from Kisame violently and began tossing about and screaming in agony. Without Samehada, Kisame dispelled his dome as he, Sakura and all of the remaining slugs crashed to the ground.

Kisame's insides were burning and he was bleeding from his eyes, nose, ears and mouth. His skin burned as pieces of his flesh seemed to be falling away. As he looked over he saw Samehada writhing in pain as pieces of its scales fell to the ground revealing a bony grey skeleton underneath.

Some distance away Sakura was on the ground coughing up water. Her head was on fire from the lack of oxygen. Just then she felt Kotetsu come up to her and slide under her arm to prop her up. Sakura could feel chakra flowing into her. "I don't have much chakra left Sakura-sama, but it's all yours," Kotetsu said.

Sakura looked around and saw she was at the edge of a large lake and she saw two large statues at the opposite sides of the nearby waterfall. _The Valley of the End_, Sakura thought as she fought to get to her feet.

_What is this_, Kisame wondered as he tried to fight the pain that kept getting worse and worse. It felt like there was a live volcano inside of his body as he continued to bleed. His vision was hazy as he looked about and saw Sakura slowly getting to her feet.

Sakura could barely stand but the chakra Kotetsu was giving her was helping. She could see both Kisame and his sword writhing in pain. _What the hell is going on_, she wondered. She couldn't explain her good fortune but she wasn't about to let go of a great opportunity. Sakura looked at her hand and clenched it into a fist. She had enough chakra for maybe one or two more attacks.

Sakura glared at Kisame who glared back. Both knew this was it. Kisame stumbled to his feet just as Sakura began a slow awkward run towards him. Kisame made several hand signs and pulled a massive amount of water from the nearby lake and made it take the shape of a large shark. "Water Release: Great Shark Bullet Technique!"

The blast of water hurdled towards Sakura as she ran right towards at. Kisame smiled as the attack closed in but he felt a spasm of pain throughout his body and just as the attack was about to connect the technique lost all momentum. The shark disappeared and it returned into water and fell to the ground as Sakura kept running and punched Kisame into the ground with all her might squarely in the chest.

Kisame felt every rib and his spine shatter as his body created a crater under the power of the blow. Sakura screamed as she felt a sharp pain in her right leg. Looking down she saw it was Samehada that had bit into her. Before she could react Samehada let go and lurched back and screamed in pain as more of its scales fell away.

Sakura fell to one knee and inspected the damage. _Not that bad_, she thought. Samehada seemed to over come the pain and was preparing to attack again when Sakura quickly crouched down and, focusing as much chakra into her legs as she could, leapt straight up into the air. Sakura flew higher than any tree and was so high she could see Konoha in the distance.

Once she reached as high as she could she began to fall, picking up speed and focusing all the chakra she could spare into both legs as she aimed for Samehada. Sakura crashed into the sword with such force, Samehada was pulverized as scales, flesh and bone scattered about and large crater was formed.

In the center of the crater was Sakura who didn't have the strength left to stand. A short distance away was Kisame who stared in shock. After a few moments Kisame smiled and forced his arms to move and forced his hands to make several hand signs. To Sakura's surprise Kisame trapped himself in a Water Prison Technique. He then summoned three sharks and Sakura watched in horror as the sharks began to feast upon him.

Sakura looked away and began to drag herself out of view of the gruesome sight. Sakura leaned against a tree and took a deep breath. One of Kotetsu's bodies came over and stayed next to Sakura and gave her chakra. Sakura's head kept nodding off as she fought to stay awake. "Sakura-sama," Kotetsu said. "I've sent the rest of my bodies out to find help. I don't have enough chakra to heal you properly."

Sakura smiled and said, "Thank you Kotetsu. I'll try to stay awake as long as I can."

Just then Sakura heard someone clapping. She looked around and saw a familiar person sitting on the tree branch above her. Seeing him made her blood run cold in fear. "You," she yelled in shock.

"Well done Haruno Sakura," Madara said. "You never cease to impress me my dear. To think you were able to kill defeat Kisame. Even though it was an accident it was still impressive. Tch. It's a real shame I have to kill someone with such potential."

_******Meanwhile******_

Sasuke remained seated on the log in quiet contemplation. The words Karin had said to her continued to resonate in his mind. _"You've never cared to see my strength," she said. "But I'll show you my strength!"_

_No Karin_, Sasuke thought. _That's not it. That's not it at all. _But that was always the problem. Despite all the time they spent together and despite all the effort she put into him, there were just things about Sasuke she could never understand. But how could she understand everything about him when he couldn't understand everything about himself.

The things he wanted, there were times he wasn't sure he wanted. The things he needed didn't always seem important. In his heart he knew the path he had chosen was the right one for him. He never questioned that. But that didn't make it always easy. And then there was Karin. Despite his efforts she understood him in ways he never thought possible. Despite the distance between them she was closer than anyone.

She didn't always understand what he wanted. The fact she chose to prove her strength to him was proof enough of that. He should have stopped her. He should have said something. But as usual those words couldn't come. It just wasn't in him. That too, was something she should've known.

Just then Sasuke heard the rustle of nearby bushes and looked up and saw a familiar face stepping out into the large clearing. Naruto glared at him with a look of anger that he'd never seen directed at him before. Even during their confrontation in the Land of Lightning, Naruto never looked at him like that. It was then some familiar words seemed to come to Sasuke all at once, _"Foolish little brother," Itachi said. "If you wish to kill me, hate me, detest me. And yet survive in an unsightly way. Run, run and cling to life, and when you have the same eyes as mine, come to me."_

_Ah Naruto_, Sasuke thought. _Now you have the same eyes as mine._

_End of Chapter Thirty Two. _

_Next Time: The Battle of Brothers_


	33. Battle of Brothers

_INTRODUCTION_

Welcome back to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I begin by stating I do not own Naruto.

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_THANK YOU_

A special thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: charles cdv; Mudcake; Exor; Anonymous Stalker; Ben Vilhaven; Diamond Man; airnaruto45; aej1085; hideki411; NarutoBigFreak; jake11124; Kushina's Truth of Hell; MyHikari; ZeroTail29; Silver Senpai; Konoha's Crimson Fox; SenninClaudio; tdwtfan1899 & Sazan.

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_RESPONCES_

**charles cdv** - Lol! Indeed.

**Mudcake** - Ahh, you are right. Tha canon Sakura could never beat Kisame. But there is a good reason why **my **Sakura could. One that will be revealed in time. So did my fight really piss you off? Lol. Sorry. But like I said, there is a reason behind it. You'll see. Perhaps then you won't be upset by it. _*HINT*_ Remember, Madara said to Sakura that she beat Kisame...by accident.

Also, I know who Kotetsu is. But if you recall the chapter in Book II of my story, Sakura received her own slug from Lady Tsunade that was also called Kotetsu. Also, the male ninja Kotetsu is dead in my story. Casualty of war I'm afraid.

**Exor** - Ha! Well at least someone wasn't pissed off by my having Sakura defeat Kisame. Anyway, yes Sakura does have the potential. But does she have the ability? I think you'll be very surprised when you learn how she actually won that fight.

**Anonymous-stalker** - Hmmm, Is it really? I'll have to look into that. I think I may be right but I'll check. Glad you liked the fight. What happened to Kisame will be revealed in time.

**Ben Vilhaven** - No! More cliff hangers! I want you all to drown in a sea of cliff hangers Lol! Ah the treasue and the Curse? That too will be revealed in time. Lol! As will more be revealed regarding how Sakura won her fight. I'm glad you're interest in my story remains high.

**Diamond Man** - Yes, i plan to make the scope of Naruto vs Sasuke a big one. As always I hope I can pull it off properly. Glad you're enjoying things.

**airnaruto45** - Perhaps. You never know what I'll do. Lol!

**aej1085** - Thanx.

**hideki411** - Thanx.

**NarutoBigFreak** - In one day! Heh, heh! No that's flattering. Thank you.

**Jake11124** - I know Uzumaki means Maelstrom. but c'mon...The Crmison Maelstrom? That doesn't sound good. Just try saying it. Does that sound awesome? Beside, with Naruto's wind style it makes sense for his nickname to be Wind related don't you agree?

Glad you enjoyed the pace of the NS maturation. It was something I know that can be a bit painstaking if you get impatient (right airnaruto-kun) but it was improtant to me not to rush things just for the sake of it. I've come to learn not many people like InoxNeji but to me they seem like a perfect match. And yes, I agree, This entire story should have been split into four books not three. Ah! But you know what they say about hindsight. Glad you are enjoying the story and keep reviewing.

**Kushina's** - Oi Kushina chan! Almost perfection is better than I'd thought they'd be. lol! Personally I can't stand reading a NS fic with very little Sakura in it. That kinda doesn't make it a NS fic IMO.

I'm glad you loved the Sakura heavy chapter. As the title suggested, this chapter was all about her and maturation as a ninja. IMO, Sakura has to be able to properly complement Naruto as a ninja if she is to ever be seen as his equal. I hoped to make this chapter about how she finally achieved that by defeating an enemy of Naruto's caliber.

**MyHikari** - Wha! *recoils in horror* Where'd you get that from. -_- You're kinda pervy ain't cha? Glad you enjoyed the chapter. Lol!

**ZeroTail29** - No biggy Zero. I'm just happy you're still reading. Glad you enjoyed the chapter.

**Silver Senpai** - Really? Well thank you for saying so SS. BTW, Blade of the Shinigami will be resarting soon after this series ends. I know you're a fan of that one.

**Konoha's Crimson Fox** - Lol! I'm surprised that you're the only one to mention Sakura's battle axe. But I guess it seemed like the thing to do if she's going to fight a guy with sword, then she needed a weapon. And if you look on deviant art almost every weapon Sakura is ever given is that same ax. So there ya go. Glad you enjoyed the chapter.

**SenninClaudio** - Lol! that wasn't the only reason Sakura won the fight ya know. Lol! Glad you are so excited for this chapter. I hope I live up to your expectations.

**tdwtfan1899** - Welcome back. the same thing happened to me so I know what it's like to lose your pc. I'm glad you enjoyed all the chapters you missed and I hope to keep hearing from you.

**Sazan** - Glad you enjoyed the chapter Sazan. And I agree, my writing has improved since I began this story. And don't apologize for being critical. That's what i want. The only way to improve is to have my work critiqued and then adjust. So thank you. And I hoep you get some sleep before reading my chapter. :)

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_MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR_

Alright so here is chapter 33 of my story. Some of you have been asking how much further to go until the finish line. Well at this point I'd say there are 6 chapters left. This is subject to change of course but as of right now that is the projected number. Anyway, **please** remember to leave a **review** and enjoy.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XXXIII: Battle of Brothers

_******Valley of the End – The Land of Fire – Seven Years Ago******_

_Naruto stood on the head of the statue of Hashirama Senju. Standing on the statue of Madara Uchiha across the waterfall was Sasuke. Thinking back on things Naruto can't believe how young he was. How long ago this felt. How so much had changed. "Why," Naruto yelled. "Why Sasuke! What made you like this!"_

"_What does any of this have to do with you," Sasuke asked. "I have my own path. I won't let anyone lead me any other way no matter who it is. Let me make this clear to you. My childish games with Konoha are over. Go Home!"_

"_Did that wake you up," Naruto asked after attacking Sasuke._

"_Yeah," Sasuke said. "I've been awake all this time. From a dream by my foolish self who dreamed of a future with comrades drunken with the assurance of peace! That's why I left the Village! That's why I desire power!"_

"_Do you know Naruto," Sasuke said. "That if both you and your opponent are first class ninjas you can only read each others minds when your fists meet."_

"_Stop this Sasuke," Naruto yelled. "I'll stop you myself! Even if I have to break every bone in your body and drag you back! I will stop you!"_

"_Shut the hell up," Sasuke yelled. "What do you know about me! Someone who had no family or siblings! You had nothing in the first place! How could know what it feels like to lose everything! We suffer because of our bonds! You don't know what it feels like to lose them!"_

"_Your right," Naruto said. "I don't know how it feels like to have a real family or brothers. But when I'm with Iruka-sensei I wonder, if it this is what it feels like to be with a father. And when I'm with you, I wonder if it's like being with a brother."_

"_Why," Sasuke asked. "Why do you care so much! Why do you go so far for me?"_

"_You were one of the first bonds I've ever made," Naruto answered. "And that's why, I have to stop you."_

_******Land of Fire – Now******_

Naruto and Sasuke merely stared at each other for what seemed like forever as the memories of that day played out in both their minds. They could vividly recall what was said and done as if it were just yesterday. Despite himself Sasuke couldn't help but give grin slightly. So mach had changed, yet, somehow, things still seemed remarkably the same.

Sasuke remained seated on the log as Naruto remained standing in the bushes. His face was partially shaded by the overhanging trees but he seemed to have a blank, dispassionate look on his face. _So Naruto_, Sasuke thought. _Your eyes look like mine now._

Slowly Naruto stepped out of the bushes and into the large clearing. His gaze was fixed squarely on Sasuke and his fists clenched tight. Sasuke slowly got to his feet and faced Naruto in silence. Naruto quickly looked around to get a good idea of the landscape. The clearing was immense with only a few large boulders scattered about. It was the perfect place for a proper fight.

"Well Naruto," Sasuke finally said. "Don't you have anything to say? I'm sure you would."

Naruto remained silent as he looked up at the sky. He could see the moon slowly making its way in between the earth and the sun. The solar eclipse, by his estimation, would happen in less than twenty minutes.

"I'm surprised," Sasuke said. "I was sure you would come here yelling about why I've done what I did or pleading with me to reconsider. Why are you so quiet all of a sudden? You're not even going to ask me about what I did to Sakura?"

Naruto looked down and back to Sasuke in complete silence. Despite Naruto's silence, Sasuke could see the tension in his body. Not to mention the fact that his chakra was flaring wildly. To Sasuke Naruto seemed like an ocean. On the surface things appeared calm. But underneath, the water was raging.

Sasuke slowly drew his sword from his sheath and readied it. "You really aren't going to say a word Naruto," Sasuke asked. Naruto looked down at his open right hand and raised it to eye level and clenched it into a fist and stared at it. After a brief moment his eyes moved from his fist to Sasuke and he glared at him with an icy stare.

Then, Naruto seemed to vanish in front of Sasuke eyes only to reappear next to him. Sasuke tried to react but he was too slow. Naruto punched him squarely in the face launching Sasuke back. The force of the blow sent Sasuke flying, slamming into the ground. Sasuke quickly stabbed his sword into the ground to stop himself and then quickly got to his feet. But much to his amazement Naruto was in the air just above him with his hand raised and ready to attack again.

This time Sasuke was fast enough to leap back as Naruto came crashing down, punching the ground with enough force to create a small crater. Naruto didn't hesitate, he closed in again, drawing a kunai just as Sasuke swung his sword. Sparks flew as both blades crashed into each other. Both men remained locked in a death grip as they each attempted to push the other back. "Nothing…..to….say Naruto," Sasuke asked as he fought to push Naruto back.

Naruto continue to stare at Naruto with dead eyes and said, "What is there to say that hasn't already been said countless times Sasuke." Much to Sasuke surprise Naruto suddenly slid to the side, throwing Sasuke off balance. Naruto then slid around Sasuke while pulling him forward with his free hand. Slipping behind him Naruto raised his kunai to his throat. "Besides," Naruto said as he stood behind Sasuke with a kunai to his throat. "There is only one thing you listen to now."

Sasuke remained perfectly still and silent for a moment before cracking a smile. "Big words Naruto," he said. Just then Naruto felt something jabbing him in his left side under his arm. Looking down he saw that Sasuke was holding his sword and had slipped it under the weak spot in Naruto's flak jacket. The blade was positioned perfectly between Naruto's ribs and at an angle where with only the slightest push, it would pass through his ribs and puncture his heart. Sasuke looked back at Naruto and said, "You really….aren't the same Naruto you used to be….are you?"

"Is it because of what I did to Sakura," Sasuke asked. Naruto tensed and gritted his teeth just as Sasuke simultaneously grabbed Naruto's hand and pulled the kunai away from his throat and tried to stab Naruto. But Naruto was prepared. He had already pulled a second kunai and knocked Sasuke's sword back.

Sasuke quickly turned to face Naruto and leapt back to put space between himself and Naruto who remained at the ready. _What type of kunai are those_, Sasuke said as he stared at the oddly shaped kunai in Naruto's hands. _I'll have to keep an eye on those. _

Sasuke's entire body began to crackle with electricity as it began to flow to the sword until it glowed brightly. Sasuke lowered the sword and then sprinted at Naruto who readied himself and quickly swung at Sasuke. Naruto and Sasuke began trading strikes back and forth. But it seemed no one could land a hit.

Sasuke quickly ducked as Naruto swung his kunai and he swung his sword at Naruto's stomach. Naruto blocked the move with one kunai and used his other kunai and jabbed towards Sasuke's neck. Sasuke side stepped the move and punched Naruto in the wrist, forcing the kunai out of his hands. Once again both men were locked in a contest of strength as they pushed back and forth using their blades.

_I don't get it_, Sasuke thought. _The kunai Naruto used the last time were covered in rubber to protect him from my chidori. But these new ones aren't. So why are they repelling my lightning? _Sasuke stared at the blades and then his eyes widened when he finally came to the answer of his question.

But before he could react Naruto grinned as he slowly raised his free hand and then began making a several hand signs. "What the," Sasuke said. _He can make hand signs with one hand!_

"Shadow Clone Jutsu," Naruto said as he created two clones that immediately attacked Sasuke from either side. Sasuke quickly released a surge of electricity throughout his body forcing Naruto back. He then quickly stepped back and out of range as one of the clones swung its kunai as his face. Sasuke then blocked the kunai of the other clone and blasted it with electricity causing it to vanish. He then sliced through the other clone, defeating it.

Suddenly Sasuke saw a shadow and looked back to see Naruto in the air, leaping towards him with his kunai at the ready. Naruto then threw the kunai at Sasuke and said, "Kunai Clone Jutsu!" Sasuke was shocked to see the one kunai suddenly transform into hundreds that all flew at him.

_Damn_, Sasuke thought. _No time to dodge! _Sasuke began to swing his sword about with incredible speed and accuracy as he knocked away one kunai after another. As the last of them was knocked away Sasuke then realized that they all had explosive tags on them. "Shit," he yelled just as the hundreds of tags exploded at once.

Sasuke leapt high in the sky out of the flames and explosion. _Damn_, Sasuke thought. _He's actually got me on my heels. I didn't expect him to attack me with such ferocity. _Suddenly Sasuke heard Naruto scream and he looked behind him to see Naruto blasting a concentrated vortex of wind from his fists and was hurtling up towards him.

Naruto slammed into Sasuke in mid air and the two began to trade punches and kicks at incredible speed. Sasuke landed blow after blow but Naruto kept absorbing the attacks and countered with punches and kicks of his own as the two continued to fall back to the ground.

Sasuke, realizing the harsh, unforgiving ground was fast approaching flipped and kicked Naruto squarely in the chest with both feet while also using the momentum to push himself away. He then flipped and landed perfectly on the ground while Naruto crashed into the ground due the force of Sasuke's attack.

Sasuke calmly waited as the dust settled and was shocked at what he saw. _Naruto_, he thought. _There's not a scratch on you. What the hell is going on?_ It was at that time that he remembered something from their exchange of attacks. Every time Sasuke attacked there was a feeling of resistance as he got closer to Naruto. It felt as though there was invisible force buffering the impact of his blows at the last moment before they landed.

"Hmmm," Sasuke said as he removed the bandages from his forearms, revealing tattoos underneath. Sasuke quickly summoned several kunai and then sprinted at Naruto who ran towards him. Sasuke threw two kunai and flipped into he air and threw two more causing Naruto to leap out of the way and dodge each attack. Then much to his surprise Naruto turned and leapt straight towards Sasuke. Sasuke smiled. _You're too impatient Naruto_, he thought as he threw several kunai right at him.

But surprisingly all the kunai veered off just before they struck and Naruto punched Sasuke in the stomach only for Sasuke to transform into a log and fall to the ground. _Substitution Jutsu_, Naruto said as he landed and looked about. "I know you're there Sasuke," Naruto said as he stared to a far off tree. "I can feel your chakra."

Sasuke stepped out and stared at Naruto and then looked at a blade of grass that was floating down just above Naruto's head. And then just before it landed on his head it seemed to blow off and away like it was caught in a sudden breeze. Seeing this made Sasuke smile. "I get it," Sasuke said. "You're really something Naruto. I was wondering why my attacks seemed to either not hit with the force they should or just miss altogether. Now I get it. You've covered yourself in some type of armor made of wind. And light attacks, such as punches, kicks and even kunai or shuriken are repelled. And you must have increased the density of the wind in order to buffer your fall. Am I right?"

Naruto couldn't help but smile. "Good isn't it," he asked. "It's something I only recently came up with. I call it Wind Release: Air Armor."

"All right," Sasuke said. "Let's see how powerful that armor of yours is!" Sasuke took off in a dead sprint towards Naruto as he once again unsheathed his sword and charged it with electricity. Naruto drew two kunai and blocked the first attack and parried the next. Sasuke leapt and tried to kick Naruto in the head twice only for both kicks to be repelled by Naruto's armor. Sasuke suddenly sped up and appeared behind Naruto and swung his sword at Naruto's back. The sword hit the armor and pieced through just enough for it to slice Naruto along his side. Naruto yelled in pain as he turned and swung his kunai at Sasuke forcing him to back away.

Sasuke flipped up into the air and landed several feet away and immediately took a deep breath and fired a massive blast of fire from his mouth. "Fire Release: Great Fire Ball Technique!" A massive ball of flames hurtled towards Naruto who quickly made several hand signs and then screamed as he threw a punch at the fire ball. A massive wall of air shot out of his fist and struck the fireball turning it into a massive column of flames that shot up into the sky.

_******Meanwhile******_

"My, My," Madara said calmly as he watched the massive flames shoot up into the sky. Despite the fact that he was more then a mile away he was impressed with the sheer size of the blast. "It looks like Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun are finishing the warm ups." Still seated on the large branch of a tree Madara looked down to see Sakura trying in vain to get to her feet. "I really wish I could see how it turns out," Madara said. "Don't you agree, Haruno Sakura?"

Sakura gritted her teeth as she strained to push herself up. _C'mon_, she thought. _Move! Move! Move! _But the most she could manage was pushing herself up a few inches off the ground before her arms and legs gave out on her.

"There's no need to rush things Sakura-chan," Madara said as he looked down from his perch. "We still have plenty of time."

_******Meanwhile******_

Sasuke glared at the massive fire that engulfed the area in front of him. Through the smoke he could see a silhouette that became clearer and clearer until Naruto came into view. "Heh," Sasuke laughed. _I was right, that armor can repel lesser attacks. But it can't repel my Fire Release. If it could, Naruto wouldn't have used that other technique. _

Slowly Sasuke's eyes transformed into Mangekyo Sharingan and then he said, "Naruto, no more games. Let's fight seriously now."

Naruto's eyes changed from being just Toad-like to having both toad and Fox-like eyes and his entire body began to emanate a faint reddish glow from his entire body. "All right Sasuke," Naruto said. "Let's put an end to this."

"Chidori Senbon," Sasuke said as he released dozens of small blasts of senbon shaped, blasts of electricity. Naruto seemed to move so fast that it almost seemed as though he disappeared as he out ran the attack. Sasuke continued to fire volley after volley of blasts but Naruto continued to outrun them as he made his way closer to Sasuke.

Naruto quickly made a hand sign and said, "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He quickly transformed into several dozen clones. Each clone blew wind infused chakra into their hand that took the shape of a ball. "Spiraling Wind Ball Barrage," each clone yelled as they each threw the ball of chakra at Sasuke.

Sasuke made several hand signs and took a deep breath and fired a massive fireball, easily three times the size of the last one. "Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu," Sasuke yelled as the large blast of fire, shaped as a dragon engulfed all of the blasts of wind. And hurtled towards all of the clones.

Naruto was in shock as he saw the fire ball nearly double in size as it hurtled towards him. _Damn it_, Naruto thought. _It fed on my Wind Release and increased in power. _Naruto pulled out a kunai and threw it directly into the flame just as it crashed into the clones, destroying them, before heading towards him.

Sasuke quickly dodged as the kunai Naruto threw flew out the back of his fire jutsu and whizzed by his head before embedding into the dirt behind him. The fire ball continued to rise into the sky before disappearing into the clouds that began to turn dark. "Did I get him," Sasuke whispered.

Sasuke gasped when he heard Naruo say, "Nope." Sasuke turned to see Naruto leaping towards him with a ball of energy in his right hand. "Rasengan," he yelled as he struck Sasuke in the chest. Sasuke screamed as the Rasengan slammed into him and slammed him into the ground.

Naruto took deep breaths as he stared at Sasuke's motionless body. Naruto sighed and then looked to the left and saw Sasuke standing there. Before Sasuke could react he felt a kunai at his back. Sasuke looked back to see Naruto there. "Did you really think you could fool me with genjutsu," Naruto said.

The fake Sasuke, laying in the crater faded away just as the clone standing above him dispersed. "When did you know," Sasuke asked.

"That you used Genjutsu on me just before you used your Fire Jutsu," Naruto asked. "Immediately."

"Heh," Sasuke said. "So genjutsu doesn't work on you huh? Well, let's try this then!" Sasuke's body suddenly disappeared in a burst of flame and appeared a few feet away. He quickly made several hand signs and said, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" He quickly created two clones that quickly surrounded Naruto on each side. Sasuke and his clones then made a few hand signs and took a deep breath. "Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Jutsu," they yelled as blasts of fire shaped as dragons hurtled towards Naruto.

"Damn," Naruto yelled as he created a Rasengan in each hand and then cracked them open. Two large tornados launched skywards just the flames crashed into them.

Sasuke looked on with a stunned expression. "So that how he defeated he Biju," he whispered.

Naruto screamed as he pushed more chakra into the tornados and pushed the flames back. The Dragon flames, finally unable to move forward, veered up and into the increasingly darkening clouds.

The tornados died down as Sasuke stared on in silence. As the smoke cleared he saw Naruto breathing heavily. "Is that….all you got," Naruto asked. Sasuke could see the faint sign of tears rolling down Naruto's cheek.

"Tch," Sasuke said as he bit his thumb and wiped the blood on his forearm and slammed his palm on the ground. Seeing this, Naruto quickly bit his thumb and wiped the blood on his palm and slammed it to the ground.

Both of them simultaneously yelled, "Summoning Jutsu!" Naruto saw Sasuke standing on a large Hawk as it hovered just off the ground.

"Hey Naruto," Gamakichi said as Naruto stood on the massive toads head.

Naruto continued to glare at Sasuke and said, "Hey Gamakichi. You ready?"

Gamakichi shaded his eyes as he stared at the massive bird and the person on top of him. "So," he said. "That's Sasuke huh? It been a long time since I saw him last. All right Naruto! Let's do this!"

Sasuke's hawk began to rise higher and higher into the sky as Gamakichi reached for his sword that was strapped to his back and he unsheathed it slightly. The Hawk backed up and paused momentarily before taking off towards Gamakichi with it's talons at the ready. Gamakichi pulled out his sword and swung it at the bird as it flew past.

The birds' talons sliced through Gamakichi's shoulder and upper back as his sword just missed it. "Argh," Gamakichi screamed in pain as he bird flew up and prepared to attack again.

"We need to get higher Gamakichi," Naruto said. "I need to get to Sasuke!"

"Tell me something I don't know," Gamakichi yelled as the bird flew towards him again. This time Gamakichi leapt towards the bird. "Hold on Naruto," he yelled as the two massive creatures closed in on each other. This time Gamakichi's sword cut into the birds side as it's talons sliced into his other arm.

The bird screamed in pain as it flew back up high into the sky just as Gamakichi landed, crushing trees underneath him and turning to face his enemy. "We can't win this way Naruto," Gamakichi said. "That damned bird is too fast."

"Right," Naruto said, "We'll need to use wind Release!"

"What," Gamakichi yelled nervously. "Naruto I only recently learned Wind Release! I'm not good enough to use it yet!"

"No problem," Naruto said with a smile. "I'll control the Jutsu. You just provide the power!" Naruto placed his hand on Gamakichi's back just as the large hawk flew in towards them. "All right," Naruto said. "Let's do this!"

The Hawk flew in with its talons ready when Gamakichi took a deep breath and fired a massive blast of concussive air that slammed into the hawk knocking it back and spiraling into the air. The Hawk quickly regained its' balance and dived in again. This time Sasuke made several hand signs and placed his fingers under his lips. "Fire Release: Pheonix Sage Fire!" Sasuke began firing volley after volley of fire balls at Gamakichi and Naruto.

"Damn," Gamakichi said as he shielded himself from the blasts. He then took another deep breath and fired another massive blast of compressed air knocking away many of the fire balls. But several more got through, striking Gamakichi all over his body. And as the flames died down Naruto was shocked to see that they contained kunai with explosive tags. Each exploded knocking Gamakichi down and almost throwing Naruto off.

"Gamakichi," Naruto yelled. "Gamakichi are you alright!"

Gamakichi moaned in pain. "Yeah," he said. "It'd take more than that to take down the son of Gamabunta you idiot!" Gamakichi slowly got up and steadied himself. Both he and Naruto looked up to see Sasuke and his hawk high above them circling them like prey. "Naruto," Gamakichi said. "We need to do something. That guy will pick us apart if we let him stay up there."

"I know," Naruto said. "And I have a plan! Listen…"

High above them Sasuke stared down. _Is this really all you can do Naruto_, Sasuke thought. _I really underestimated you. _"Alright," Sasuke said to his Hawk. "Let's end this." The Hawk immediately began to fly down as Sasuke readied his Phoenix Sage Fire Jutsu.

Sasuke fired another volley of blasts when Naruto placed his hand on Gamakichi's back and said, "Now! Fire Release: Toad Flame Cannon!" Gamakichi then fired a large, steady stream of flames from his mouth at Sasuke and his hawk.

_Damn_, Sasuke thought. _He combined the Toads Fire Jutsu with his own Wind Jutsu! I only have one shot._ Sasuke made several signs and placed his hand on the back of his hawk and said, "Fire Release: Infinite Phoenix Flame!"

The Hawk then spat out its own blast of fire and when each blast hit, it created a massive wall of flames that could be seen for miles. When the fire finally faded Sasuke was shocked to see both Naruto and his Toad were gone. He then saw a large shadow around him and he looked up to see Gamakichi high above him and was falling towards him with his sword above his head.

"Shit," Sasuke yelled as he commanded his hawk to look up and fire another blast of flames.

"Argh," Gamakichi yelled as he was struck by the flames but continued his attack. "Now Naruto," he yelled.

"Right," Naruto yelled as he leapt off of Gamakichi's back and released a blast of wind from both fists to propel him towards Sasuke.

"What," Sasuke said. "He can…..?" Naruto punched Sasuke squarely in the face as both men fell off the hawks back. Meanwhile Gamakichi was able to slice the hawk in half. Gamakichi, Naruto and Sasuke all fell crashing to the ground.

"Heh, heh," Gamakichi said as he winced in pain. "We really did it Naruto. But….I've got nothing left….you'll have to finish it….on your own." Gamakichi disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving both men alone once again.

Sasuke moaned in pain as he got to his feet. Several yards away he saw Naruto get to his feet as well. Naruto had a grin on his face and said, "I'm surprised Sasuke. After all this, and your actually weaker than me?" Sasuke's eyes grew wide and then he glared at Naruto. Still grinning Naruto said, "What's the matter? Are you scared, scaredy-cat?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth and made hand signs and sprinted towards Naruto. But before he could activate his technique Sasuke was shocked to find the ground under his feet moving and several dozen clones broke out of the ground, each holding a Resengan in their hand.

_Damn_, Sasuke thought as he began to dodge and each attack before he stabbed his sword in the ground and said, "Chidori Current!" Electrical energy flowed from Sasuke's body and the ground in all directions and blasted away all the clones before they could strike. But then Naruto, appeared behind him with a large ball of energy in his hand. "That's….!"

Naruto threw the Rasenshuriken at Sasuke who quickly summoned a large snake right in front of him that took the brunt of the blast. The snake couldn't absorb it all however and Sasuke was blown back and slammed into the ground.

Sasuke grimaced in pain as he tried to get up only to find both his arms pinned down. Opening his eyes he saw two of Naruto's clones each holding down one of his arms. And at his feet stood Naruto holding a kunai. "Aaaaargh," Naruto screamed as he leapt down at Sasuke with his kunai prepared to stab him.

_Shit_, Sasuke thought as he saw the blade hurtling towards him.

_******Meanwhile******_

"Hmmm," Madara said as he stared off in the direction of Sasuke and Naruto's battle. "Those two are really pulling out all the stops." Madara then looked down to see Sakura below him. She was drenched in sweat and she was taking short, choppy breathes.

_I have….to….do something_, Sakura thought as she felt a small rock underneath her. She grabbed it and tried to put as much chakra as she could in her arm before turning and throwing the rock as hard as she could at Madara.

Madara calmly stared at her as the rock whizzed right through him and flew high into the sky and out of sight. "Wow," Madara said. "You are pretty strong. To think you could muster that much chakra in your condition."

Sakura gripped her chest as she felt a sharp pain. "Sakura-sama," Kotetsu yelled as it made her way to her. "Sakura-sama, you must stop. You don't have the chakra left to fight."

"You should listen to your slug Sakura," Madara said. "You don't want to go and die now do you?"

_******Meanwhile******_

Sasuke remained perfectly still as the kunai remained inches from his eye ball. He could see the kunai was shaking slightly as the hand that held it trembled. Sasuke took a deep breath and calmed himself. It was then he felt small droplets of water hit his chest. Sasuke looked to see that Naruto was crying.

"You shed tears to easily Naruto," Sasuke whispered. "That's always been an annoying thing about you. You shed tears for those who would not do the same for you." Sasuke looked at Naruto who remained silent. "What happened to those eyes that were so full of conviction just now," Sasuke asked. "Are you still lacking resolve?"

Naruto was trembling violently as the kunai remained precariously close to Sasuke's eye. "It's not easy is it," Sasuke asked which caused Naruto to open his eyes wide and gasp slightly. "Forgiving someone who has killed so many you care about…it's easier said than done isn't it, Naruto?"

"Why are you still hesitating Naruto," Sasuke asked. "Haven't I killed enough of your comrades? Or is it maybe you don't care about them as much as you claim?" Naruto gritted his teeth as the kunai inched closer.

Sasuke grinned as he looked at Naruto and said, "Or what about Sakura?" Naruto's eyes grew wide and he tensed up. "Do you not care what I did to her?"

Naruto screamed and pushed the kunai down stopping less than an inch from Sasuke eye. Still he was crying and his hand shook. "One question," Naruto said as Sasuke stared at him. " I just…need to know one thing. Do you feel any better?"

"What's that," Sasuke asked.

"Has all this death and destruction you've caused made you feel any better," Naruto asked. "Has your revenge brought you any peace!"

"Peace," Sasuke asked. He looked up at the sky for a brief moment as if considering the question. He then clenched his fist, his brothers' hand and said, "Peace? That was never my goal."

Sasuke looked at Naruto and began to remember all their times together and the laughs they had once shared. They had seemed so long ago. But he could see that Naruto was reliving them now. "Naruto," Sasuke said, "Do you want to know how I feel? I feel…..exhilaration! It's like a high I've never felt before."

Naruto glared at Sasuke and could see the passion in his eyes as he spoke. "I feel like I'm finally cleansing the Uchiha name of the stigma that's dogged it for years and putting things to right. I'm finally freeing the Uchiha from this corrupt ninja world and finally wiping it from all of your memories! And by killing every last one of you any link to the Uchiha will be severed and purified!"

"It's funny Sasuke," Naruto whispered. "You and I could have easily been standing in each others shoes right now. When I was a kid, everyone hated me because of what I had inside me. And I hated them all too. I wanted revenge on them all. But it wasn't until I met you, Iruka-sensi, Sakura and Pervy Sage that I finally made bonds. I was glad you were around because I thought you were as lonely as I was. But I was also jealous of you. Of your skill. So I chose to be your rival. But in the end, I'm really glad I met you."

"It's too late for that kind of sentiment Naruto," Sasuke said. "I plan to kill everyone in your precious village after I'm done with you. The time has come to show your resolve. Kill me and become a hero. Or die, and just be another of my victims."

Sasuke stared at Naruto who remained silent. "What is wrong with you," Sasuke asked as his anger began to rise. "What the fuck is wrong with you! Why! Why do you care about me so much! Why are you willing to go so far for me!"

Naruto pulled the kunai away from Sasuke and then punched him hard in the face. "How dare you," Naruto whispered. "How dare you ask me that? Look how far you have gone for the sake of your brother. How can you ask why I go so far for mine?"

Sasuke's eyes grew wide and he gasped slightly as he stared at Naruto. "You're brother….?" Sasuke seemed sad as he thought of how things once was. How they could have been if only…..if only…

It was then he remembered his brother, his mother, his father, his clan. If only Konoha hadn't betrayed them. "You're brother," Sasuke asked angrily. Naruto recoiled as he saw Sasuke activate his Mangekyo Sharingan. "I only have one brother Naruto! You are not my brother!"

Naruto saw a large figure being formed around Sasuke and leapt back as the creature destroyed the two clones that held Sasuke down. The large humanoid skeleton swung at Naruto as he was in the air, just missing him. Naruto landed and went into a defensive stance with a kunai at the ready as Sasuke stood up.

Surrounding Sasuke was a large skeletal creature. Muscles and skin began to envelope the bone completely as it continued to grow in size, completely surrounding Sasuke. Eventually it grew armor and weapons as well until if fully resembled a yamabushi.

"Naruto," Sasuke said. "It ends here. Your resolve is weak but mine is not. The past is the past! The only thing that await you is death!" Sasuke quickly made several hand signs and said, "Lightning Release: Kirin!"

"Shit," Naruto yelled as he looked up to see the storm clouds. _Those fire techniques Sasuke made earlier_, he thought. _It was to create that damned technique! _Naruto looked on in amazement as a large bolt of lightning shaped as a dragon came crashing towards him. _Damn there's no time to dodge._ Naruto then found himself enveloped in light.

_******Meanwhile******_

"Hmmm, so you used that technique," Madara said as he looked on in the distance. "Ah well, it appears I should get moving then."

Sakura looked and saw a kunai on the ground and began to crawl towards it. Her entire body felt heavy. It was like she was dragging a thousand pound weight. As she reached out Madara's foot stepped on the kunai. "Well Haruno Sakura, I'd love to stick around, but I have other things to get to. And it seems that their fight is just about over."

_End of Chapter Thirty Three_

_Next Time: Resolve_

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_"Some truths must never be known."_

_The Curse...is coming. _


	34. Resolve

_INTRODUCTION_

Welcome back to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I like to begin by stating I do not own Naruto.

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_THANK YOU_

A special thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: Exor; NarutoBigFreak; aej1085; InARealPickle; EmpKaylenatye; ZeroTail29; MyHikari; Ben Vilhaven; Kushina's Truth of Hell; Diamond Man; Konoha's Crimson Fox; Cloud Ex-SOLDIER; tdwtfan1899; charles cdv; hothead11; Elena Cullen Blye Winchester; Narutokurosaki; Sazen & musguian.

* * *

_RESPONSES_

**Exor** - Glad you enjoyed the chapter Exor. Yes, Sakura may not be the strongest but she gets by with her skills.

**NarutoBigFreak** - Glad you liked it. I'll try to keep things going! :)

**aej1085** - Thanx.

**InARealPickle** - LMAO! You know I find it strange. When I go a couple chapters with no action I get readers asking me when am I gonna get to some fights. And when I have a couple chapters with fighting I get readers asking me when are they gonna end. LMAO! Now I know what Kishi goes through. ;) I will say that you should expect the fighting to go on for a while. This is great showdown of good and evil. I can't rush this.

**EmpKaylenatye** - Thanx.

**ZeroTail29** - Thanx.

**MyHikari** - LMAO! Damn you figured me out! I a quite pervy. Madara's interest in Sakura has been partially revealed if you think about it. But a full explaination will be revealed soon. Glad you're happy with the Sasuke vs. Naruto showdown so far.

**Ben Vilhaven** - Really? Thank you for those letting me know of those errors. Actually the idea for the Kunai clone jutsu comes from the the Movie The Lost Tower. In that movie, Minato uses that jutsu and he called it Kunai Clone Jutsu. But maybe you are right.

You know I love my cliffhangers. You should expect one in this chapter too. Lol! Have you read Blade of the Shinigami, BTW? What did you think?

**Kushina's** - I actually introduced the idea of using rubber kunai way back in Book 1. Glad you like the chapter.

**Diamond Man** - Perhaps killing a former friend isn't as easy as one would believe. But don't underestimate Naruto. He has some tricks up his sleeve.

**Crimson Fox** - Thanx.

**Cloud Ex-SOLDIER** - Glad you enjoyed the chapter. I did consider using the japanese names but decided it would be to difficult to find the proper translation for the new techniuqes I created. And I didn't want to run the risk of getting it wrong.

**tdwtfan** - Glad you're enjoying the story. Sasuke can use shadow clones because the Sharingan can copy techniques. He can't use it to Naruto's level though. Everyone else is re-grouping while Naruto and Sakura are fighting.

**Charles cdv** - Thanx.

**hothead11** - Glad you loved the Sakura vs. Kisame fight. i really wanted to show a bunch of techniques she could use that could realistically give her a chance against him. If you liked the Sauke vs Naruto fight so far then you are in for a treat. Those two are only getting started.

**Elena Cullen** - What indeed! i think I will surprise quite a few people with what I've come up with for this chapter

**narutokurosaki** - Hiraishin requires Naruto either place a kunai with the seal near Sasuke or he mark Sasuke with the seal. Naruto does not know how to mark with the seal yet and most of the kunai he made were given to the captains so he could destroy the Biju. Though he does have a few of the kunai on him he has to be selective in its use.

**Sazan** - Thanx.

**musguian** - I love having international readers! And I'm honored you think so highly of my work. And I'm glad you've enjoyed the bit of realism I interjected into the NejixIno pairing. I will say that everyone should find my next chapter interesting for crack pairings. I will be introducing another pairing I think people may find a good one. :)

As for my writing, it's not that people don't enjoy my writing. Most people who read my work, whether it be poetry, short stories of others, like my work. It's that I'm so critical of my work I never let people read it. The reason I chose to do this fanfic was to force myself to just put my work out and see how it's received. Though I believe I still have a long way to go I have really enjoyed the process of improvng my skills. Glad you enjoy my writing. You should check out some of my other stories and let me know what you think.

* * *

_MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR _

Ok so here is chapter 34 of my story. **Please** remember to leave a little **review** to let me know what you think. Thanks.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XXXIV: Resolve

_******Land of Fire******_

Sasuke stood stoically as the watched as his technique, Kirin, crashed into his once and great friend. From the very beginning of the fight Sasuke had planned on setting this technique up. Despite all his talk about wanting to kill Naruto he knew that he couldn't. Naruto was the host of the Kyubi after all. To kill him would be counter productive to the overall plan. So after releasing volley after volley of his Great Dragon Fire technique it was just a matter of stalling Naruto until the atmosphere was properly charged.

Naruto's hesitance proved the best route to do so. Despite Naruto's anger and ferocious attacking style Sasuke knew Naruto couldn't resist speaking to him one last time. That gave Sasuke the time he needed. Kirin, if used on a lesser person, would kill them easily. But not Naruto. Sasuke knew Naruto would at least survive but it would definitely incapacitate him.

Sasuke shaded his eyes as the thunder clouds disappeared and the sun streamed in. Taking a deep, almost exhaustive breath he then looked to the massive cloud of dust and dirt that enveloped where Naruto had stood.

As the dust began to settle Sasuke stared into it as a silhouette began to take shape. _What the hell_, Sasuke thought to himself as the figure began to come into view. Sasuke was shocked to see that the figure in the smoke was at least three stories tall and had what looked to be tails wagging back and forth.

As the last of the smoke cleared Sasuke saw Naruto standing where he had been and above him, was the Kybui. The Kyubi glared menacingly at Sasuke. It's eyes were full of hate. Naruto, himself seemed shocked as he looked up to see that he was standing directly underneath it. "Kyubi," Naruto whispered. "You….?"

_It shielded him_, Sasuke wondered. _The damned fox somehow came out and shielded him? _The Kyubi suddenly roared a deafening roar forcing Sasuke to shield himself, before the creature suddenly turned to energy and was reabsorbed back into Naruto's body.

Naruto remained wide-eyed and almost frozen in shock. Slowly he calmed himself and addressed the Kybui. Inside his mind Naruto was now in the room filled with water with the large cage holding the Kyubi. _"Hey Kyubi," Naruto said angrily. "What the hell was that! How did you do that?"_

**The Kyubi growled. "I thought it was customary for you humans to thank someone when they save your miserable life," The Kyubi said. **

"_I asked you a question," Naruto asked impatiently._

"**I simply used the connection that we established to bring myself to your world momentarily," the Kyubi said. **

"_You….you can do that," Naruto asked, clearly shocked._

"**Of course," The Kyubi said. "You underestimate me far too much human. You created the connection so that you could easily tap my power. Well, why would you assume that the connection works only one way? I do however need certain requirements for me to do such a thing. And I can only do it once and only for a few seconds at a time. So don't expect me to save you again human!"**

Naruto gritted his teeth and clenched his fist as the Kyubi continued to talk. **"Are you angry," it asked. "Well, this was your fault. You need to focus boy! I won't let you die and take me with you simply because you lack the will to do what's necessary! You need to stop holding back and kill that human already! It's clear that he can't be saved from his hate! So kill him and let's move on! Because unless you have forgotten, Madara is the real threat here! He's the one with the ability to remove me and complete his plans to bring back the Jyubi! And if you look up you can see the moon is almost in place. The damned solar eclipse will happen soon! So get your fucking head out of the clouds and move your ass!"**

"_Hey Kyubi," Naruto said calmly as he reached out towards the large beast. "Come here." Suddenly the Kuybi felt as he had been yanked by the throat by some invisible force that pulled him down to the ground in front of Naruto. "Let me explain something to you," Naruto said. "This body that we share is mine. It is my home. You are an unwanted guest. But you are a guest I am forced to live with. But I make the rules here, get it? Never….do that….again! Because if you do, Madara will be the least of your worries. Do we understand each other?"_

_The Kyubi growled and stared at Naruto harshly but remained quiet. Naruto turned and began to walk away. "I'll take that as a yes."_

_******Meanwhile – Back in the Real World******_

Naruto and Sasuke stared at each other for a moment as Sasuke tried to analyze the situation. _Where did that power come from so suddenly_, he thought. _It almost looked like a partial transformation. I've never heard of that before. Tch, well whatever the case, the power is gone now. _Sasuke looked up at the sun and moon. _Time's running out_, he thought as he reactivated his Mangekyo Sharingan. _I need to end this. _

Again Sasuke created his fully formed Susanoo as Naruto began to glow bright red. Naruto suddenly saw a black substance coming at him from Sasuke's direction and quickly dodged just as the flames struck where he was standing. _So he's finally decided to use Amaterasu_, Naruto thought as he dodged another blast.

Sasuke remained standing in the center of his Susanoo and continued to fire blast after blast of black flames. As Sasuke continued his relentless onslaught he laughed slightly before braking into raucous laughter. _Yes_, he thought. _The power! I never imagined it would be like this! There was a time I couldn't possibly maintain both Susanoo and Ameterasu like this!_

Naruto flipped and rolled out of the way as he dodged another blast of black flames. Before he knew it he found himself surrounded on every side. _Damn_, he thought. _He's pinned me in. _

"I've got you," Sasuke yelled as he fired another blast that struck Naruto head on and knocked him back and to the floor.

"Heh," Sasuke said. "I'll let the flames do its work for a while and then extinguish it before it kills him."

But then much to his surprise he saw Naruto kneeling on one knee and as he got to his feet a blast of wind shot from his body, knocking away the flames. Naruto glared at Sasuke as he got into a defensive stance.

_Damn_, Sasuke thought. _It's that shield of his again. He must have increased it's strength and kept the flames from hitting him. _Naruto then slowly raised his hand in the air and kept it there for a few seconds before lowering it. "What the hell are you doing," Sasuke asked. All Naruto did was grin in response.

Some distance away, in the woods just past the clearing, Shima was hidden in some bushes. She held Naruto's large scroll as well as two small ones. "That's the signal," she whispered as she opened one of the small scrolls and wrote on it. She then made several hand seals and a barely visible vapor rose from the scroll and spread out towards the clearing.

"What the hell," Sasuke whispered as he saw the vapor surround all of the black flames and absorb it. The vapor then floated back into the trees on the far side and entered the scroll.

Shima rolled the scroll up and made several hand seals and it disappeared in a puff of smoke. "I better get moving before that Sasuke pinpoints my location," Shima said before leaping away.

Sasuke stared at the area where the vapor trail led. _So Naruto hs back up_, he thought. _But who ever it is, their chakra is so low I can barely track them. Who could it be?_

"Pay attention," Naruto yelled as he appeared in the air on Sasuke left. Susanoo turned to face him and swung its bow striking Naruto and knocking him to the ground. Much to Sasuke's surprise, Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke. _A clone_, Sasuke thought as he heard Naruto behind him.

Just as he turned Naruto had a shuriken shaped ball of energy in his hand. "Wind Release: RasenShuriken!" Naruto threw the ball of energy as Sasuke who tried to turn Susanoo to use its shield but he was too slow.

The attack struck Susanoo and it was engulfed in light. When the light faded away, the armor on its arm and side had been stripped away but quickly began to regenerate. Naruto gritted his teeth and sprinted at Sasuke. He made a hand seal and said, "Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" Naruto created dozens of clones that each created a Rasengan and attacked Sasuke from all sides.

Suddenly black flames began to engulf Susanoo's entire body as Natuto's clones crashed into Susanoo and were destroyed. "Tch," Naruto said as he gritted his teeth. "Nothing's working."

"**You need to stop holding back and let me out," the Kyubi yelled. **

"_I don't need to do that," Naruto said. "If I do I may not be able to control it. I can beat him on my own."_

"**The only thing you can do on your own is die boy," the Kyubi responded angrily.**

"_Enough," Naruto said. "I've made my decision."_

Just then Susanoo raised its shield and it transformed into a bow. With its other hand it created an arrow made of pure chakra and loaded it into the bow. "Shit," Naruto said as Susanoo took aim.

"It's over Naruto," Sasuke yelled as Susanoo fired the arrow. Naruto quickly sprinted to his left and leapt to dodge the arrow as it crashed into the ground and exploded launching Naruto forward and crashing to the ground. _He actually dodged it_, Sasuke thought. _Well, let's see if he can dodge this._ Susanoo reloaded his bow as Naruto got to his feet.

Susanoo fired another arrow forcing Naruto to run. He quickly leapt just as the arrow struck the ground and exploded. Naruto's body was thrown forward and he quickly flipped and landed on the ground just as another arrow was fired. "Damn," Naruto said as he leapt straight up and over the arrow that exploded as it hit the ground behind him and pitched Naruto forward and landing hard on the ground.

Naruto grimaced in pain as he looked up to see Susanoo taking aim yet again. Naruto quickly made a hand seal and created a shadow clone as Susanoo fired its arrow. The clone quickly grabbed Naruto by his arm and threw him out of the way just as the arrow crashed into the ground and exploded. The force of the explosion sent Naruto flying and tumbling to the ground. As he landed he clutched his right arm in pain. The sleeve was burned away and his arm was covered in burns.

"**Boy," The Kyubi yelled. "What the hell are you doing! You need to kill that human! Why are you holding back!"**

Naruto was gasping for air and was drenched in sweat. _"I….I know," Naruto said as he stared at Sasuke who glared with a cold and evil grin at him. "It's just...that…."_

Naruto looked up to see Sasuke's wicked smile and the bloodlust in his eyes. He began to remember a time when Sasuke's smile held no such malice and his eyes were kind. There was a time when Sasuke would smile at him, if even just a little when they greeted each other. They were like brothers. No. They were not like brothers. They were brothers. They teased each other. They fought each other. They looked out for each other. Despite the rivalry. Despite the animosity. They were always there for each other. They were Team Seven. How? How could it have come to this?

"**Boy," the Kyubi called frantically. "Move you're ass!" **Jarred from his thoughts Naruto looked up to see another chakra arrow hurtling towards him. Naruto pushed himself up off the ground and leapt straight up and over the arrow that exploded as it hit the ground knocking Naruto to the ground. It was then Naruto noticed black flames burning the edges of his coat.

"Shit," Naruto said as he quickly removed the coat and threw it to the ground. Looking at Sasuke he saw Susanoo had already reloaded but this time the arrow was engulfed in black flames.

"**He's coating the arrows with those black flames," the Kyubi said. "The resulting explosion will ensure you're hit with them. You need to cut loose Naruto! Let me out! It's our only chance now!"**

"_I….," _Naruto said as Susanoo fired the flame covered arrow. Naruto suddenly vanished before Sasuke's eyes and re-appeared some distance away. _Sasuke_, Naruto thought as Sasuke turned to face him and Susanoo once again reloaded its bow. _Why, Sasuke! _

"**Now is not the time to second guess yourself boy," **The Kyubi yelled as Naruto drew one of his special kunai and threw it to the other side of the clearing. **"Let me out and we can finish him!"**

"_If I do that I may not be able to control the power," Naruto said. "I….could end up…."_

Sasuke stared at the kunai Naruto threw as it landed on the ground. _So_, Sasuke thought. _You are using that jutsu, huh Naruto? Madara warned me that you could learn it, but I never imagined…. Alright then. _

Sasuke then looked at Naruto and fired a blast of Amaterasu. The black flame launched at Naruto who disappeared instantly. Sasuke quickly aimed Susanoo towards the kunai and fired an arrow just as Naruto appeared. "Shit," Naruto yelled as he realized his error.

The explosion struck Naruto head on and his body, engulfed in black flames, was thrown out of the blast and crashed hard to the floor. For a while the body merely burned when suddenly it disappeared in a puff of smoke. "What the," Sasuke said. Just then he heard Naruto yelling behind him. Sasuke turned to see Naruto throw another RasenShiruken at him. The blast nearly forced Sasuke back but he poured more chakra into Susanoo and withstood the attack.

Naruto was gasping for breath as he watched the smoke clear around Sasuke and he saw Susanoo still standing there. The reddish, orange pigment around his eyes as well as his golden horizontal pupils faded and returned to its normal blue as Naruto fell to his knees in exhaustion. "Hah…hah…It's no use," he said. "Even Rasenshiruken can't break through. And now I've lost Sage Mode."

Susanoo fired another arrow at Naruto. Realizing he wasn't fast enough to dodge without Senjutsu, Naruto quickly made several hand seals and said, "Wind Release: Living Tornado!" A massive Tornado encircled him just as the arrow collided with it. The resulting explosion knocked Naruto into the air and crashing to the ground before tumbling to a stop. Naruto clutched at his injured knee. "Shit," he said. "I think it might be broken!" Naurto tried to stand only for an incredible pain to shoot through his leg causing his knee to buckle and for him to fall to his knees.

"**You need to let me out boy," the Kyubi yelled. "You're hesitation will kill us both! How much more do you need to see of the Uchiha to know that he does not care about you! He has been engulfed by hate! It's like you said, he has gone too far now! Why do you hesitate?"**

"_Because," Naruto said as he looked in Sasuke's eyes. "Somewhere in there, I can see the pain. I could feel the turmoil in his chakra. I know that somewhere in there is the real Sasuke!"_

"**Foolishness," the Kyubi yelled. "I thought you had moved on from such childishness! At this rate he will kill us both, don't you understand that!"**

"_I….I know," Naruto said as he slammed his fist into the ground. "I know that! But…..I realize now….that I…..I can't do it! I can't just…kill Sasuke!"_

Now frantic the Kyubi began to think quickly. _**Fuck**_, the created thought. _**If only I could exert my will on him like I used to this would not be an issue. But perhaps I'll have to just appeal to his humanity.**_ **"What about the humans you call your friends," the Kyubi asked. "What about all those bonds you talk about! Will you really let them die just for that piece of filth!"**

"_Shut up,"_ Naruto yelled as he looked to Sasuke. Susanoo had once again reloaded its bow. _"I know what I said. But, I….I can't do it. I just….can't…"_

"**You can't," **the Kyubi roared. **"You pathetic human! What do you mean you can't! If Sasuke defeats us he will go on to kill your friends!"**

"_No," Naruto said. "Even if I die here Sasuke will never defeat them. They are strong. Perhaps stronger then me because they can do what I can't."_

"**What about the girl," the Kyubi asked. **

Naruto paused as he thought of her. "Sakura," he whispered.

"**What about that promise you made to her," the Kyubi said. "I've had to listen to you prattle on and on about your stupid promises and how you never go back on them! Are you truly going to do so now!"**

Naruto tensed up as the memories of last night flooded back to him. For that brief moment it was like he was back in that room. He could hear Sakura ask him, "Then what do you plan to do?"

He could hear his response, "Sasuke wants the destruction of not just Konoha but the whole world. I have to stop him, even if it costs me my own life."

Naruto could remember the look on her face. How terribly sad she seemed. In that moment he believed the pain on her face was for Sasuke. Until she said, "I wish you wouldn't say things like that. You can't just sacrifice yourself like you do. If something were to happen do you know how much it would hurt the people you leave behind? Naruto, if you want to stop Sasuke then you have to do it without dying, or else I'll never forgive you!"

Naruto could remember after their brief nap together, her touch and her smell as she held on to his waist. She seemed so small to him in that moment. So fragile. "I don't want you to die," she said. "Promise me that when this war is over you will come back to me. Don't die." Don't die, that was the promise he made to her. Don't die.

Sasuke aimed Susanoo's arrow at Naruto who remained on his knees and lost in whatever thoughts dominated his mind. Sasuke could see the injuries Naruto had. His right arm was badly burned and his left knee appeared to be broken. _This is it_, Sasuke thought. "This is the end Naruto!" Susanoo fired the arrow directly at Naruto as Sasuke smiled.

But suddenly Naruto reached out and Sasuke stared in amazement as he witnessed what he believed to be impossible. "What," Sasuke mumbled. "I…Impossible!" Naruto had caught the massive arrow in both hands.

A stunned Sasuke looked on as Naruto began to glow bright red and massive gusts of wind began to emanate from his body. Sasuke then saw the massive image of the Kyubi standing above Naruto, glaring down at him before releasing a deafening roar that could be heard for miles. The image then began to shrink as it was absorbed into Naruto. The ground began to shake violently all around as the winds surrounding Naruto increased in its violence.

Naruto flexed, squeezing the large chakra arrow and destroying it as chunks for rock ripped free of the earth and began to float all about him. Using his Sharingan, Sasuke quickly scanned Naruto and saw that a massive chakra was whipping about his body. "Is this the full power of the Kyubi," he whispered. "No, this isn't just the Kyubi's chakra. It's Naruto's. Somehow….somehow both chakra are merging into one!"

Sasuke then saw the image of nine individual tails wagging about behind Naruto as he seemed be covered in a golden shroud that resembled the silhouette of the Sage of the Six Paths. Naruto slowly got to his feet as Sasuke marked that both Naruto's right arm and left knee had healed along with his other injuries.

"Sssssasssuke," Naruto said as he finally opened his eyes. Naruto's retina's were like a foxes but golden instead of red. Sasuke suddenly recalled the last time Naruto had used the Kyubi's power. He was like a miniature Kyubi. A wild animal. A force of nature unto himself. But this time it seemed different. Despite the power Naruto was using he seemed….calm. In control.

"Sasuke," Naruto said. "Earlier you said I lacked the resolve to kill you. And you were right. But I do have a different kind of resolve. I made a promise. A promise that I would not die, not matter what. So my resolution isn't to kill. My resolution is to live!"

"The resolution to live," Sasuke asked as he shook his head disapprovingly. "I'm disappointed in you Naruto. As someone who has tasted the kind of crushing loneliness I have known, you should know that such a selfish resolution is meaningless! Why tell me such a thing!"

"Heh," Naruto laughed with a grin. "A selfish resolution? I guess you're right. For the first time perhaps I am being truly selfish. But that's not why I'm telling you this." Naruto raised his fist to his face and looked at it as he clenched his fist tight. "I'm telling you this so you understand. I've never used this power in battle before. I don't know if I can fully control it. But my resolve dictates that I have to. So please…forgive me….if I kill you by accident."

Sasuke's eyes grew wide as he saw, for the first time, true murderous intent in Naruto's eyes. He gritted his teeth as his entire body seemed to tense in anticipation. He could feel his sweat turn cold as he felt a mix of excitement and apprehension for what was to come. "Kill me by accident huh," he said. "As if you could ever do such a thing!"

Sasuke sent the mental command to Susanoo to fire the bow aimed at Naruto and just as Susanoo fired Naruto seemed to vanish before Sasuke's very eyes and appeared crouched atop the arrow at the very instant it was fired. "Impossible," Sasuke whispered as Naruto leapt off the arrow as it sped by and punched Susanoo squarely in the chest. Sasuke was shocked when Susanoo was pushed back several feet from the force of the blow and its armor on its chest cracked.

Before Susanoo could react to Naruto's attack he disappeared again and appeared behind it and punched it again, pitching Susanoo forward. Sasuke tried to turn Susanoo around but Naruto was again gone in an instant and appeared to its left and punched it once again. _This speed in incredible_, Sasuke thought. _I can't even track him with my Sharingan!_

Sasuke desperately tried to pin down Naruto's location_. _But Naruto would keep vanishing before Sasuke could react and strike Susanoo before Sasuke could even locate him. Naruto was striking from all sides with such power that Susanoo's armor was shattering and with such speed that it didn't have time to regenerate it.

_I have to get him to back away_, Sasuke thought. Suddenly Susanoo's body was again covered with the black flames of Ameterasu and Sasuke smiled as he believed this would force Naruto back. But much to his surprise, Naruto reached out and grabbed Susanoo's shoulder and though there was steam rising from his hand, it did not burn. _Damn it all_, Sasuke thogut. _His cloak is actually powerful enough to protect him from Amaterasu!_

Naruto continued to pound away at Susanoo from all sides before he leapt back and as his feet dragged in the dirt. "Ssssasuke," he yelled as he crouched down. Naruto roared like wild animal as Sasuke quickly commanded Susanoo to take aim at Naruto with an arrow covered with black flames. "I am going to crush Susanoo! And I am going to defeat you!"

"Dream on you pathetic loser," Sasuke yelled as he fired a blast of black flames, striking Naruto head on. _Susanoo might be too slow but Amaterasu isn't_, Sasuke thought. Sasuke smiled quickly turned into a gasp of shock as he saw Naruto standing unharmed amidst the black flames. In each hand Naruto was creating two Rasenshirukens that both glowed bright red.

Quickly Sasuke's expression went from shock to rage as he tensed and poured more chakra into Susanoo. Susanoo began to grow even larger as it's tattered and broken armor repaired itself and got even bigger and more imposing with large spikes protruding from its shoulder pads and arm guards. "Give it up Naruto," Sasuke yelled. "You'll never get around my Susanoo!"

"Around it," Naruto asked as he reared back. "I'm not going to go around it!" Susanoo raised its bow and fired an arrow just as Naruto threw both Rasenshurikens. Susanoo's arrow connected with one of Naruto's Rasenshiruken's but much to Sasuke's amazement, the Rasenshiruken sliced right through the arrow before both slammed into Susanoo. Sasuke raised his hand to shade his eyes as he and Susanoo was engulfed in light.

A few moments went by as the effects of the blast died down and Sasuke opened his eyes. Susanoo's armor had been blasted away and it's skin surrounding it's arm and torso and been stripped back down to the bone. "Incredible," Sasuke said. "He almost…"

It was then Sasuke saw a large shadow coming towards him through the smoke. As the smoke cleared he was horrified to see it was a black ball of dense chakra that was easily as large, if not larger, than Susanoo itself. "What the fuck," Sasuke yelled.

With the large ball of chakra in his hand, Naruto leapt towards Sasuke and yelled, "I'm not going around Susanoo, Sasuke! I'm going through it! Great Tailed Beast Rasengan!" The massive Rasengan slammed into Susanoo and shattered its already weakened arms before crashing into its chest. Sasuke yelled as he desperately fought to push more chakra into Susanoo but it was in vain as he saw Susanoo's rib cage crack and then shatter before the large Rasengan slammed into him.

Sasuke screamed as the Rasengan slammed into him and he experienced a level of physical pain he had never felt before. And then suddenly everything went black.

_******Meanwhile Elsewhere*******_

"Tch," Madara said as he looked off into the distance. "Damn it all Sasuke. To think you would let that happen." Madara sighed heavily before looking down at Sakura who was still sprawled out on the floor. She was glaring back at him as she kept taking labored breaths. "Now what should I do with you?"

Much to Madara's surprise Sakura leapt up into the sky and threw a punch directly at his face. Madara quickly turned intangible so that her fist passed harmlessly through him and quickly turned solid, intent on grabbing her while she was off balance.

But Sakura was ready, she quickly reached into her pouch and pulled out her last kunai and swiped at Madara, stabbing him in his upper shoulder. She then spun to face him and punched him in the face and the force of the blow launched his body into the air and back into the trees in the distance.

Sakura heard his body slam into trees and intended to give chase. But she stopped and nearly doubled over in exhaustion. That last maneuver cost her the last of her usable chakra. "Impressive," Madara said as he stood unharmed behind her. Sakura gasped in surprise and quickly tugged on a thin string that was tied to her wrist.

The line was attached to the handle of her axe. Sakura pulled the axe to her and grabbed it. She quickly spun hoping to strike Madara but he was too fast as he grabbed her by the wrist and wrenched her arm. Sakura gave a little scream from the pain he was applying. "All of that before was an act wasn't it," Madara said. "Knowing I have the Sharingan you purposefully reduced the amount of chakra you were using to make it look like you had none left to use. And that little stunt with the rock was only to make it look like you were desperate. It was all an act to get me to get closer and drop my guard. Impressive."

"Impressive," Madara said as he applied pressure and twisted his hand causing Sakura's wrist to snap. "But it was also, futile." Sakura screamed in pain and fell to her knees as the she was forced to drop the axe. Madara used his free hand to grab the axe out of the air and hold it up to her neck.

"Sakura-sama," Kotetsu yelled as it tried to come to her aid. "Don't worry Sakura-sama! I'm almost at the first checkpoint! I'll send help!"

Sakura opened her eyes as she grimaced in pain. "K…Kotetsu," Sakura said. "D…don't send the back up here. Send them…to….Naruto."

"But Sakura-sama," Kotetsu protested.

"I am giving you an order Kotetsu," Sakura yelled. "Naruto's safety takes priority! Do as I say!"

Before Kotetsu could respond Madara moved the axe from Sakura's neck and threw it at Kotetsu. The small slug vanished in a puff of smoke as it was struck by the massive weapon.

Turning his attention back to Sakura he said, "A ninja is supposed to put the mission over their own lives. And the mission is to protect Naruto. Very good Haruno Sakura; very good. But as I said, it is futile. Naruto's fate was sealed the moment he became a Jinchuriki. Sasuke will defeat him and bring him to me. And then the world as you know it will cease to exist."

Madara reached down and grabbed Sakura by the neck and lifted her off the floor with one hand. "It's a shame you will not live to see my glorious vision."

Madara slowly began to squeeze tighter and tighter as Sakura desperately clutched at him with her one good hand. But her strength had left her and her vision began to darken as her body got weaker and weaker. _Naruto_, was all she thought as her eyes began to close.

_******Meanwhile******_

Sasuke was drenched in sweat as leaned with his right arm onto a large boulder. Blood poured from the large wound on his chest as he gasped for air. His clothes were ripped and tattered and his legs shook violently as he tried to stay on his feet. Sasuke coughed up blood as he quickly tried to clear his thoughts and assess the damage done to his body.

Moments ago Naruto had used a massive ball of chakra to blast through Susanoo and struck him head on. He had never felt such pain as he felt ribs break and flesh tear. Sasuke could feel his body be involuntarily thrown back for what seemed like forever until he slammed back first into a large boulder that nearly broke from the force of impact.

For a brief period Sasuke wasn't sure if he was alive. But he had to be. There was no way he was dead and be in this much pain. Sasuke opened his eyes to find that his body was crumpled against the boulder like a pile of discarded trash. His body armor was all but obliterated.

Not only that but he was clearly no longer in the large clearing where he and Naruto had fought. The blast and thrown him across the open area and deep into the woods. Every tree and rock in the path of the attack had been upended and destroyed and there was a large ditch carved into the ground leading from Sasuke's body back to where he had stood.

_Damn it all_, Sasuke thought. _After everything I had done. Naruto is still stronger than me. Damn it! It was then Sasuke recalled Madara's words._

_******KiriGakure – Akatsuki Headquarters – Several Weeks Ago******_

"_Damn you Madara," Sasuke yelled as he gripped his eyes in pain. "It doesn't surprise me that you'd betray me eventually! But why now!"_

_Madara chuckled and said, "Betray you? Why my dear Sasuke, I have done nothing of the sort. No, in fact you should be on your hands and knees thanking me."_

"_What the hell are you talking about Madara," Sasuke asked._

_"Just what it sounds like," Madara responded. "I haven't betrayed you. What I have done in fact is given you the power to overcome your previous limitations and defeat all of your enemies."_

_Sasuke yelled, "Limitations! What limitations! I have the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan! I have all the power I need to….!"_

_"To what," Madara yelled. "To destroy Konoha! To destroy this ninja world? Damn Sasuke you are so naïve! Do you really think that the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan alone is enough to achieve all your goals?"_

_Sasuke sat quietly, unable to respond. "Sasuke," Madara said, "if having the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan was enough to destroy Konoha and this ninja world I would have done it long ago. I've tried….many times…..and every time…..I failed. But you Sasuke….you are not as weak as I am. You have the strength to overcome the limitations of the Uchiha bloodline and transcend all expectations."_

_******Land of Fire – Now******_

Sasuke couldn't help but smile to himself. _Damn_, he thought. _That son of a bitch has always been a step ahead. No matter how much I resisted he knew I would need to rely on that power._

Some distance away was Naruto slowly walking down the path created by his attack. As he continued to walk the cloak covering his body began to fade. **"Good work boy," The Kyubi said. "Now we can focus on the true threat! But I warn you, you used too much of my chakra in one go. It will take some time before I can give you the cloak again."**

Naruto remained silent as the last of the cloak disappeared and was instantly struck with nearly over whelming fatigue. Naruto doubled over and began gasping for air as he fought to maintain his composure. Just then Shima leapt out of the nearby trees with the large scroll in hand. "Naruto-boy," she said as she came up to him. "Are you alright!"

"Yes Granny Toad," he said. "I'm fine. Please bring one of my clones back."

"Alright," Shima said as she unraveled the scroll, made several hand seals and said, "Summoning Jutsu!" A clone, fully charged with Senjutsu appeared in a puff of smoke and disappeared just as quickly.

Naruto, now in Sage Mode, quickly got to his feet. "Thank you Granny Toad," he said.

"No problem Naruto-boy," she replied. "But remember, you only have one more clone left."

"I understand," Naruto said. "You should find a place to hide now." Shima nodded and leapt off back into the woods.

Naruto turned and began to walk down the path through the heavy smoke left from his attack. A few minutes passed before Sasuke came into view. Sasuke was leaning against a large boulder and was badly wounded. Naruto walked up and stopped a few feet away. "You're still alive," Naruto asked. "Good. For a while there I thought I had over done things with my last attack."

Sasuke continued to cough and spat up more blood and Naruto watched him impassively. "It's over Sasuke," Naruto said after Sasuke finished coughing. "I will bring you back to Konoha now. We'll heal your wounds and then you will stand trial for your crimes. I'll do everything I can to make sure you don't receive the death penalty. But you will remain in prison. Hopefully in time you will learn how wrong you were. And then you can find some sort of redemption."

Sasuke laughed slightly as he pulled himself up a bit more. "You really aren't the same Naruto. All this big talk, heh, damn you really are full of yourself. Do you really think this is over? You think you've proven that your power is greater than mine?"

Naruto's eyes widened as he watched Sasuke. _What the_, Naruto thought as he took two steps back and his body tensed. _His chakra is increasing incredibly fast. It's more than when we fought before! What's going on?_

Sasuke slowly raised his head to look at Naruto and what Naruto saw made him gasp out loud. "Sasuke," Naruto said. "Y…Your eyes are…?"

Sasuke's Sharingan had changed from red and black to grey and black with black ripples leading out from the irises. "These are the eyes of true power Naruto," Sasuke said. "Eyes that have not been seen since The Sage of the Six Paths walked this world. And with these eyes, I can see your death! This is The Eternal Mangekyo Rinnegan!"

A vision of Pain flashed across Naruto's mind as he looked into the eyes of Sasuke as Sasuke raised his hand towards him. Suddenly Naruto felt his entire body hit with a crushing invisible force and he was thrown back down the path and crashing hard into the ground back in the open clearing.

Sasuke was dumbstruck by the amount of power that flowed out of him and he looked at his open hand in shock. He then aimed his hand towards the area right next to him and the large head of an apparition began to rise out of the ground. It's mouth was wide open and its tongue shot out and wrapped itself around Sasuke's body and pulled him inside. A few moments later, Sasuke stepped out. All his wounds were healed and even his clothes and armor was repaired. _Incredible_, Sasuke thought.

Some distance away Naruto slowly got to his feet. He was coughing violently and spat up blood. "Damn," Naruto said. "How the hell did Sasuke get that power? This fight is going to be way more difficult than I thought. Hey Kyubi, I'm going to need your power!"

**The Kyubi growled and said, "My chakra still hasn't replenished from the last use. I need more time. You're on your own for now human!"**

"Of course," Naruto said.

"**Just try not to get yourself killed," The Kyubi said.**

Naruto wiped the blood from his mouth and then noticed a shadow just in front of him. When he looked up he saw Sasuke, perfectly healed, floating above him, glaring back. "That might be easier said than done," Naruto said as he readied himself.

Sasuke raised his hand and again Naruto was struck by an invisible force then knocked him back. When his body came to a stop Naruto slowly go to his feet again and spat up more blood. "Damn," Naruto said. "His power feels greater than Nagato's! This is bad!"

Sasuke remained floating and then suddenly flew down and slammed into the ground, creating a small crater. He then placed both open palms on the ground and said, "Summoning Jutsu!" Four blasts of white smoke appeared in front of Sasuke and as it cleared Naruto saw that he had summoned a Giant Drill Beaked Bird, a Giant Multi-headed Dog, A Giant Ox and a Giant Rhino. Naruto took a deep exasperated sigh. "Of course," he said as he prepared to fight.

The giant animals immediately took off towards Naruto who quickly created two clones as he ran towards them. Naruto quickly created a Giant Rasengan in each hand and handed one to each clone. Just then the Rhino closed in on him. Naruto leapt and grabbed it by its horn and flipped it on its back. One clone moved in and hit it with the Rasengan causing the Rhino to scream in pain.

Just then, Naruto heard a loud screech behind him. He looked back to see the Drill Beaked Bird swooping down on him. Naruto gripped the horn of the downed Rhino tightly and swung it like a bat. The sharp beak of the bird pieced into the Rhino and was simultaneously slammed and both animals went tumbling to the ground, before they disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto then heard a loud grunt and turned to see the Ox galloping towards him. Naruto leapt high into the sky and flipped onto the ox's back. He then ran towards the ox's massive head leapt into the air and came crashing down with a massive punch that knocked it straight to the ground.

Naruto then leapt to the ground in front of the Ox, made several hand seals and said, "Wind Release: Living Tornado!" A large tornado formed under the Ox pushing it up into the air leaving it unable to move. The other clone then moved in and leapt up and hit the Ox with the massive Rasengan, destroying it.

Naruto stopped his tornado technique and was about to turn around when he was slashed across the back by the claws of the Giant Multi-headed Dog. Naruto yelled from the pain as his body crashed o the ground. The two clones he created immediately attacked the dog but were easily knocked back and destroyed.

Naruto slowly got to his feet and looked at the Dog as it thrashed about. He was hunched over in pain as the claw marks across his back ached. The Dog then turned and faced Naruto as it reared back and growled. Naruto smiled as he drew one of his special kunai. "Here doggy," he said as the dog ran right at him. Naruto waited until the beast was right on him when he threw the kunai right into its mouth. The Dog swallowed the kunai and immediately leapt to bite down into Naruto when he suddenly vanished.

The dog stopped and began to look about when it suddenly began to inflate like a balloon before exploding in a blast of light. Standing at the center of the explosion was Naruto with a fading Rasengan.

Naruto took a deep sigh before he was hit with another blast of invisible force that sent him flying. He crashed hard into the floor and tumbled to a stop. Grimacing in pain Naruto looked up to see Sasuke slowly walking towards him.

Naruto slowly got to his feet as Sasuke created two clones. _He can use jutsu without creating a hand seal_, Naruto thought. The two clones leapt into the sky as Sasuke again fired a blast of force towards Naruto who leapt up and over the blast, intent on reaching Sasuke.

But one of Sasuke's clones appeared behind him and grabbed his arms and pinned them behind him. Naruto and the clone fell to the ground and Naruto could feel his chakra being drained. _Damn_, Naruto said. _He gave this clone that ability?_

The other clone landed a few feet in front of Naruto and created a chidori and ran right at him. The clone buried the chidori directly into Naruto's chest but Naruto transformed into a log. The chidori ripped right through it and struck the other clone, destroying it instantly.

Naruto then appeared behind the final clone and destroyed it with one a punch. But again he was hit by a blast of invisible force from the real Sasuke. As Naruto crashed to the ground Sasuke struck him again and again. Naruto limply tumbled to a stop and remained motionless for a brief time. _Damn it all_, Naruto thought as he slowly opened his eyes. _"Hey Kyubi, I could use a little help," Naruto said. _

"**Sorry human," the Kyubi responded. "My chakra has not replenished yet. I need three more minutes!"**

Looking at Sasuke who was now only a few feet away Naruto said, "I don't think we have three minutes!"

Sasuke slowly raised a hand towards Naruto and blast of lightning shot from his hands, striking Naruto who screamed in pain. Sasuke paused before hitting him with another blast and another. "Naruto," Sasuke said. "Madara needs you alive so that he can extract the Biju. However, his desires are not necessarily my own. You will die here. By my hand and you will be just another of my victims."

Sasuke hit Naruto with another blast of lightning causing Naruto to scream in pain. Smoke rose from Naruto's body as he could smell his own burnt flesh. Naruto hunched forward and gasped for air as he felt the last of his Sage charka disappear. _Shit_, he thought. _This is it. This really is it!_

Just then Naruto heard a man's voice that seemed to come from in his own head. _"Ah," the man said. "It looks like this is as far as you can go." The man sighed wearily. "I guess its time for me to act after all."_

"Who," Naruto asked. "Who's there?" Suddenly the world around Naruto began to blur and fade away to darkness. Naruto suddenly found himself in complete darkness, standing on a large body of water. "Who's there," Naruto asked. "Where am I?"

Naruto then hear d water drip behind him and as he turned dozens of crows flew at him forcing him to cover himself as they flew by. As the last crow passed Naruto saw a faint light and the silhouette of a man walking towards him. As the man came into view Naruto's eyes grew wide and his jaw went slack. "You," Naruto said in shock at the man facing him.

"_I'm sorry to have to do this Naruto-kun," the man said. "But you have done all you can for Sasuke. The Kyubi's chakra prevented me from interfering before. But its chakra is too low to do anything now. It's time I deal with Sasuke myself."_

The man slowly raised his hand and said, _"I'm sorry but what I'm about to do is unavoidable and well, it's going to hurt….alot." _With almost incomprehensible speed the man stuck two fingers into Naruto's eyes and Naruto screamed in pain.

Sasuke paused as he saw Naruto grab his eyes and scream. Naruto screamed and screamed as Sasuke stared in confusion. After a few moments Naruto quieted down and remained hunched over. "Tch," Sasuke said as he created a chidori. "I'm not sure what that was all about but it doesn't matter."

Sasuke reached out and grabbed Naruto by the collar and pulled him up towards him and said, "Your fate is...sealed…Na…ru….to." Sasuke's voice trailed off in shock and confusion as he stared in Naruto's face.

Naruto was staring back, but to Sasuke it wasn't Naruto he was looking at. It was as if Sasuke was staring at a ghost. Sasuke expected to see Naruto's usual blue eyes, or perhaps red fox-like eyes. Or ever his Toad eyes. But these eyes. He couldn't believe it. Each retena was now red with a black three pointed pinwheel.

"I…Impossible," Sasuke said. "T…that's Itachi's….Mangekyo Sharingan?"

Sasuke suddenly felt the whole world around him change. The moon turned red and cast a red light everywhere. The ground turned black and the sky cloudy. Sasuke found himself strapped to a cross unable to move. "What," Sasuke said as he looked about. "How is this possible! What's going on?"

Sasuke then heard footsteps and as he looked in the direction they came from he gasped in shock. Standing before him was his brother, Itachi, smiling. "Hello little brother," Itachi said. "We need to talk."

End of Chapter Thirty Four

Next Time: Legacy of Itachi


	35. Itachi's Legacy

_INTRODUCTION_

Welcome back to the End of Innocence. As always I like to begin by stating that I do not own Naruto.

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_THANK YOU_

A special thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: NarutoBigFreak; SenninClaudio; InARealPickle; airnaruto45; tdwtfan1899; hideki411; Kushina's Truth of Hell; MyHikari; ZeroTail29; perfect beauty; charles cdv; Konoha's Crimson Fox; Mudcake; musguian; Diamond Man; Elena Cullen Blye Winchester; xXbeautifullyshatteredXx & Ben Vilhaven.

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_RESPONCES_

**NarutoBigFreak** - Thanx. Glad I was able to take you by surprise.

**SenninClaudio** - Glad you liked it. Thnk you.

**InARealPickle** - I gave Sasuke the Rinnegan waaaay back in Chapter 8 of Book III. Did you forget? Don't be so quick to judge my friend. Read this chapter and then tell me what you think. :)

**airnaruto45** - You know me, I love to take my time. You tend to complain about that remember. Lol!

**tdwtfan1899** - Thanks. Let's hope she doesn't.

**hideki411** - Thanks.

**Kushina's** - Ah, yes it was, but that forces you to remember facts from previous chapters doesn't it. Lol! Itachi was always someone who needed to be used IMO. I hope you like how I use him in this chapter.

**MyHikari** - What, can't you picture Naruto with Mangekyo Sharingan? That would be awesome no? Glad you liked the chapter and I hope you find the pairing I introduce interesting.

**ZeroTail29** - Thanks.

**Perfect Beauty** - I think everyone seemed to forget Itachi's role in the canon. Which is why I thought this was an excellent time to introduce it in my story. Glad you're enjoying things so much.

**charles cdv** - Thanx.

**Mudcake** - Glad you enjoyed things. Nah, i wasn't gonna go that far out there with introducing the Sage. That would have just been impossible.

**Konoha's Crimson Fox** - Thanx.

**musguian** - Flawless? Nope I don't think so but thank you for the complement. You should do what i did and just put your work out there. It helps you work on your work and gives you perspective on what areas you need to improve upon. Glad you are enjoying the story.

**Diamond Man** - Gald you're enjoying things and it seems my introduction of Itachi has gone over as a great success. Sakura's tough, don't count her out yet.

**Elena Cullen** - Lol! So I surprised you too huh? I can't believe how much people love bringing Itachi into the story. I'm so happy right now. Lol!

**xXbeautifullyshatteredXx** - Lol! So you passed up my story but finnaly gave it a chance? Well, I'm glad you did. And apparently so are you. ;) I'm glad my story has hooked you in and I hope to keep things interesting for you as I begin to bring this little story to the finish line.

I'm a fan of the cliffhangers. It's what keeps you guys coming back for more. I know it can be torturous. It was tough for me to kill Lee off but in the end i felt it was a necessay move considering the path of the story. That said I wanted his death to have not just a profound affect on the others but to have a great affect on changing the tide of this war.

Adding romance was something I wanted to do but I also wanted the level of romance to be true to the characters and I felt that over doing things wouldn't make it realistic especially when, as you say, they are in the middle of war. I'm glad I was able to make NejiIno come across as believable. i wanted to make this pairing as normal as possible.

- Kurenai's and Asuma's child is with the other civilians hiding in the shelter

- I plan to go over the entire story once finished and fix any mistakes

- This was war my dear. The death of the child was necessary to convey how great the stakes was. As a result there had to be TONS OF BLOOD!

Glad you enjoyed the chapter. It really took a bunch of research to come up wwith abilities and tactics that both characters would use. i had to also make it seem fresh and exciting for the readers. not easy. Lol! Oh, and actually update bi-weekly now. Though I may be able to get one or two chapters in weekly.

**Ben Vilhaven** - Glad you liked the chapter. And I'm happy you gave my other story, Blade of the Shinigami a chance. But you're right, that story is definitely a MATURE TITLE. It's not for everyone I'm afraid but when I think of Bleach I just think it should be a DARK story. I plan to continue with that story once I'm done with this one and I'll understand if it's not something you want to follow. ;)

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_MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR_

Well, here is chapter 35 of my story. This chapter is a bit longer than my usual chapters and I had a ton of fun writing this one. Safe to say this is one of my favorite chapters so far and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I hope you will. Please remember to send a little review my way once your done.

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XXXV: Itachi's Legacy

_******Konoha Hospital – Mid-Afternoon******_

Hinata's eyes opened slowly as she groaned in pain. Her vision was blurred and her hearing muffled as she slowly came to. Bright sunlight streamed in and she could feel its comforting warmth on her face.

She could feel the soft pillow and bed underneath her and the warm blanket that covered her. As she took a deep sigh of relief all of the memories of the day suddenly flooded back. She remembered marching out towards the battlefield; having to watch her comrades fight an die. She remembered the last moments with her father and the wounds she'd suffered in her fight.

Suddenly Hinata shot up, sitting straight up in the bed. The sudden movement caused a massive spasm of pain in her chest, arm and stomach and it took her a moment to catch her breath. _Where am I_, she wondered as she looked around the white, sterile room.

It only took her a moment to recognize the place as one of the medical rooms in Konoha's hospital. _Oh that's right_, Hinata thought as the last memories she had before losing consciousness returned to her. She remembered arriving at the triage station in the field with the rest of her unit. The place was in chaos as apparently the Biju had been unleashed and was wreaking havoc.

Her wounds were severe and Sakura had recommended that she be sedated while they worked on her. The last thing she remembered before the medicines put her to sleep was hearing someone scream that Naruto-kun was coming. She could hear the happiness and relief in their voices.

Hinata took a deep sigh and looked at her body. She was wearing no shirt and instead was wrapped in bandages from her upper stomach up to her shoulders. Her left arm was heavily bandaged as well. Her vision was still blurry, no doubt a side affect from using that jutsu, but she could see well enough.

Hinata then heard a man's voice. "You really should lie down," the person said. Hinata quickly turned to see Sai, sitting up in a bed next to her. "You don't want to re-open your wounds do you," he said with a smile.

"My wounds," Hinata asked as she looked at herself. Hinata suddenly realized how little she was wearing in the presence of a man. She yelled and fumbled for the blanket and covered herself. "W…What are you doing here Sai-kun," she asked as she turned beet red.

Sai stared at her with a confused look on his face. "Oh," he said. "I get it. I read in a book that women get embarrassed if they are caught by a man while they are under dressed."

Hinata turned even redder and quickly dropped back into the bed. "I….I'm not nervous," she said. "Y-You just startled me, that's all!"

"Oh," Sai said with a smile. "That's good. I wouldn't want to embarrass you."

"Is this the Konoha Hospital," Hinata asked as she looked out of the window at the clear blue sky. "How did we get here?"

Sai took a deep sigh and looked at the large sketch pad laying open on his lap. "Sakura-san had the entire medical unit move out of the battlefield once things settled down. Unfortunately they don't have enough beds to handle the amount of wounded. The medic who placed me hear told me that usually they prefer to let women and men remain in separate rooms but they don't have that luxury right now."

"Oh, I see," Hinata asked. "So it's true that Madara had released the Biju? What happened?"

Sai smiled and said, "Naruto-kun beat them."

Hinata's eyes widened in astonishment. "Naruto-kun beat them," she asked. "On his own?"

Sai nodded happily. "Once he beat them, Sakura-san had everyone moved back to the village for safety. The Biju had caused so much damage that we couldn't be properly protected out in the field."

_Naruto_, Hinata thought as she looked out the window. _You're amazing. Just incredible. _

"But that wasn't the only problem," Sai said. This caused Hinata to look at him once again. Sai had a concerned look on his face. "When we got back to the village it was being over run by the enemy. Somehow they had snuck in."

"What," Hinata said as she leaned up on her elbows. "But then how…?"

"Neji-kun, Kiba-kun, Ino-chan and Lady Tsunade led our forces on a counter offensive," Sai said. "They, along with some Toads Naruto had summoned, defeated the enemy and secured the village."

Hinata laid down in the bed and sighed in relief. "So where is Naruto-kun now," she asked.

"No one….knows exactly," Sai said as he nervously rolled a pencil back and forth between his fingers.

"What," Hinata asked. "What do you mean?"

"Last I heard Naruto-kun was on the battlefield alone," Sai said. "Sakura-san stayed too. No one has heard from either of them. Though, knowing Sakura-san, she probably went to find him."

"So isn't anyone going to look for them," Hinata asked excitedly.

"Moegi-chan told me that there are trying to fortify their defenses and get all the wounded out of the way in case of another attack first," Sai said. "Once they do that they plan to send as many as they can for backup."

Hinata looked up at the ceiling as the ceiling fan whirled around slowly. She could feel a lump in her stomach as she got more and more anxious. _Naruto-kun_, she thought.

Hinata looked at Sai and could see he was as worried as she was. It was at that moment she realized how little she actually knew Sai. He was always quiet. He would laugh and talk at times but he could usually be seen simply observing and drawing. Often times he didn't seem like someone who was a part of the world but rather a person who simply observed the intricacies of it.

There were times she would sneak peaks at his work and she marveled at the beauty with which he saw things. But there was also something else. There was sadness in all of his paintings and drawings. No matter how happy the people in them seemed, it always felt as if there was some emotional disconnection in his work.

She always just assumed it was her own imagination or perhaps that because Sai couldn't as yet fully understand such happiness and that he found it hard to convey it in his work.

But, looking at him now, a new and more likely theory came to her. It wasn't that he couldn't understand happiness. It was him. It was his own sadness and fears that he could not show to others. Anyone can laugh with people. It's not difficult to show happiness to others. But sadness, fear, inadequacies, these emotions were difficult for most people, let alone someone like him. For Sai it could only reflect in his work. It was the only true expression of him. It was a part of him and a part of his work and it was something he couldn't separate even if he tried.

"Why are you staring at me," Sai said blankly.

Hinata gasped lightly and blushed as she looked away. A moment later she looked to see Sai was drawing once again. Hinata remained lost in her thoughts for a while with only the sound of Sai's pencil along his pad to keep her company. Unable to bear the silence any longer, Hinata looked at Sai who seemed lost in his work. "What are you drawing," she asked.

Sai smiled and said, "Nothing really. I just needed something to draw."

_Hmmm_, Hinata thought. _I was right. You're nervous Sai-kun. So to help deal with it you draw._ "May I see it," Hinata asked.

"Ahhh, perhaps not," Sai said nervously. "I don't have all my tools here. It's really not that good."

Hinata smiled at Sai. At this point she realized she had a choice, she could either accept his answer and let it alone and return to that unbearable silence and her worries over Naruto. Or she could push a bit to see Sai's work. At this point it really wasn't much of a choice at all. And she had to admit, his refusal to let her see made her curious. "Nonsense," Hinata said. "I don't mind it if its unfinished. Let me see."

"I'd rather not," Sai said.

Hinata sighed and looked about. She saw a robe hanging next to her bed and reached out for it. She quickly put it on, making sure Sai didn't get a peak and got to her feet. Her legs felt heavy and her breathing was labored but she slowly made her way around her bed towards Sai.

"You really shouldn't be up," Sai said. "That's a bit reckless."

"Then you should have let me see the picture," Hinata said with a smile as she walked next to Sai and looked at his pad. Hinata gasped and put her hand by her mouth. "Th-This is."

Hinata took the pad and walked backwards until she was able to sit down in her bed as she stared at the picture of her sleeping in her bed. Though the picture was incomplete it was still a perfect replication of her sleeping with the window open and the light illuminating her face.

"I read that it is impolite to draw someone without their permission," Sai said. "But I just found that you….inspired me. I'm sorry."

"No," Hinata said. "It's….beautiful. It's really beautiful. I look…..happy in this picture. I don't look sad at all."

Sai had a strange, confused look and asked, "Why would you look sad?"

Hinata wiped a tear from her eye and handed the pad back to him. "No," she said. "It's nothing. Please, can you finish it for me? Do you mind if I keep it when you're done?"

Sai smiled and said, "Sure. Please lay down."

Hinata got back under her blanket and removed her robe. She looked at Sai who smiled before he began to draw again. She smiled as she closed her eyes. _Maybe he's not as bad as I thought_, Hinata thought.

_******Meanwhile******_

"Hello Sasuke," Itachi said. "We need to talk."

Sasuke gritted his teeth as he tried in vain to pull himself free from the cross he was strapped on to. "What is this," he yelled as he looked about frantically. "Naruto! Naruto you bastard! Come on out! I don't know…..I don't know how you received the Sharingan, but I will make you pay for it! The Sharingan is a symbol of the Noble Uchiha Clan! A lowlife outsider like you has no right to have it! Come on out! Don't think you can affect me with some vision of Itachi! Come out and I'll rip those eyes from your skull!"

"Yo," Itachi said calmly. "You really shouldn't yell and scream like that little brother. It's not very becoming of a shinobi." Itachi then smiled and said, "Acting like that…..really isn't like you Sasuke."

Sasuke paused and stared at Itachi. After a moment he said, "You…..you are not real. My brother is dead."

"Yes," Itachi said. "I am dead. If you're seeing me now it means you defeated me. But not all of me is dead."

Suddenly the landscape began to change and turned into a wooded area. "I think the best way to explain how I've come to be here is to just show you Sasuke," Itachi said. "Now look. What you are witnessing is something that took place just before our final meeting."

Standing in the middle of a small clearing was Itachi. "Show yourself, Uzumaki Naruto," he said.

Naruto then came out from behind a nearby tree. "You've finally come to capture me," he asked.

"No," Itachi responded. "I merely want to talk to you." While Itachi spoke with Naruto, two of Naruto's clones closed in on him from behind. Itachi quickly pulled two kunai from his sleeves and threw them at the clones without even looking back and easily dispatched them.

"Like I'm going to fall for that," Naruto yelled.

Itachi moved his hands and Naruto quickly looked away and tried to focus on Itachi's feet. "I see you've learned a little about fighting the Sharingan. You must know what to do when you're alone. Why aren't you running?"

"Pfft," Naruto scoffed. "Because with me my numbers can be anywhere from one to one thousand! And I can't afford to run this time. I have to capture you so I can find Sasuke."

"What is it about my brother that makes you care about him so much," Itachi asked. "He is a rogue ninja who abandoned you."

"Because he's like a brother to me," Naruto responded. "I've been a better brother to him than you ever were."

Hearing this made Sasuke look away. "No Sasuke," Itachi said as he stood next to him. "I want you to watch this." Sasuke turned and faced the scene that played out before him. As he saw the vision of Naruto and Itachi face each other he saw a small smile on Itachi's face.

Naruto suddenly sprinted at Itachi, prepared to fight. Itachi opened his cloak and dozens of crows flew out and surrounded Naruto. "You are already trapped in my illusion," Itachi said.

"Fuck," Naruto said in frustration. It was then, Sasuke was able to see what Itachi had done. The crows he had sent to attack Naruto were made of Itachi's pure chakra and each had a special seal. When the crows entered Naruto, Sasuke could see Itachi's chakra meld with Naruto's and then be sealed away.

"I'll say it only once more," Itachi said. "I only came here to talk with you." Itachi ended his genjutsu causing Naruto to drop to the ground gasping for air.

"W-why," Naruto asked. "You're after me aren't you? So fight me now!"

Itachi stared at Naruto for a moment as if he was considering whether or not to answer the question. "I have a very important matter to deal with," he finally said. "Farewell Naruto-kun."

The vision of Naruto and Sasuke faded away as well as the landscape leaving Sasuke and Itachi alone once more. "So," Sasuke said. "That's how you did it. Why would you do something like that?"

"Think of it as an insurance policy," Itachi said.

"Insurance," Sasuke asked. "Against Madara?"

"Against you," Itachi responded. "In case my plan had failed. Which it seems it has. Somewhere along the line I miscalculated how much hate would blind you and how truly manipulative Madara could be."

Sasuke looked away when suddenly the cross he was strapped to vanished and he fell to his knees. "I take it you're calm now," Itachi asked. "Sorry about that but my chakra is limited. I couldn't waste it having to fight you."

Sasuke got to his feet and stared at Itachi for a moment. Cautiously, he raised his hand and touched his shoulder. Sasuke squeezed his shoulder as if he was testing the solidity of the man before him. And then, in one fluid motion, Sasuke hugged Itachi.

For a moment Itachi remained motionless as he seemed surprised by the gesture. Slowly, a smile crept on his face and he hugged Sasuke back. The two brothers separated and Itachi said, "It's good to see you smile at me again, Sasuke. I've missed that. But now isn't the time for this. Sasuke, I want to tell you that….I'm sorry."

Sasuke stared at him sadly as Itachi continued to speak. "I'm sorry for not being the older brother you needed," Itachi said. "Everything I've done, all the mistakes I've made, they were for you. But in the end, I see now how wrong I've been."

"Brother," Sasuke said. "There is no need to apologize. None at all. I-I understand now why you did what you did. I understand. I do. And I promise, that I will make Konoha pay for forcing you into such a situation! I'll make them all pay for the sacrifice they forced you to make!"

"Forced," Itachi said as he looked up into the blood red sky. "No, that's not quite it is it? No Sasuke, I wasn't forced at all. I was the one, who chose to do it."

Sasuke's yes grew wide as he looked at Itachi. He then said, "W-what?"

Again the landscape around them began to change and Sasuke suddenly found himself in the secret Uchiha meeting Hall. There were several dozen familiar faces sitting around a large oak table. Sasuke could recognize some of them from his youth. They were all elders and leaders of the Uchiha Clan. His father, Fugaku, was also there sitting at the head of the table. Sitting to his right, was Itachi.

"All of our pleas and requests have fallen on deaf ears," one gray haired man yelled as he slammed his fist on the table. "The Hokage and his advisors refuse to give us greater stature in Konoha no matter what we do!"

"Settle down Yojiro," Fugaku said as he tried to maintain order. "I have been in constant negotiations with the Hokage and…"

"Negotiation," another man said. "What good has negotiation gotten us? While we negotiate we remain oppressed while other inferior clans like the Hyuga and Nara are elevated in stature. The Uchiha clan is the most powerful clan in the ninja world and we are reduced to glorified crossing guards! We should be running Konoha, not subservient to it!"

"This was the risk we took after the Nine Tails Incident," another man yelled. "If only he had succeeded…!"

"Quiet," Fugaku yelled at the man prompting his silence. Fugaku then looked to Itachi who stared at the man confused. "For now we need to bide our time until we can move."

"We are tired of waiting," Yojiro said, "The time has come for action. If we will not be given the respect we are owed then we should take it. That and more."

"What do you suggest," Fugaku asked.

"Rebellion," Yojiro responded with a smile. "Together, the Uchiha can take control of Konohagakure by force. It is time for the Uchiha to take back the honor we lost!"

Itachi gasped and stared at the man in horror at what he had heard. He then looked to his father whose eyes were closed and arms crossed in deep thought. After a few moments Fugaku opened his eyes and said, "How would we go about doing such a thing?"

Sasuke watched as the scene before him faded away and once again he and Itachi was alone. "I wasn't sure at the time what horrified me more," Itachi said. "Was it the suggestion of civil war? Or was it that Father was actually considering it? Perhaps I was too young to understand the oppression the elders talked about. Maybe I was too idealistic. But all I knew was that this did not feel right. In my gut I knew this was wrong. But I was too wrapped up in working to receive our fathers' approval to go against him. So I kept quiet. I think in retrospect it was because I didn't want to believe they were serious. I wanted to believe that this was just the ramblings of old men with too much time on their hands. But I knew. Deep down I knew things were changing."

"So," Sasuke said spitefully. "You did what you thought was right! But it was Konoha who chose to destroy the Uchiha!"

"Be quiet Sasuke," Itachi yelled. It was an uncharacteristic burst of emotion from his brother that silenced him immediately. "Do not speak on things you don't understand. Just be silent and listen."

Itachi was quiet for a moment as he seemed to be gathering his thoughts. Finally he spoke. "For a long time afterwards there were many meetings. Plans were being proposed and finalized. For my part, father had come to me and informed me that I would be tested for eligibility to join ANBU. And that if I passed I would be in a position to pass along sensitive information to him."

Again the scene changed and Sasuke found himself standing in his living room. His heart ached as he saw the steam coming from the kitchen. He could almost smell the soup his mother would prepare. Sitting in the middle of the room was his father and brother. His father was sipping on some tea as Itachi sat with a confused look on his face.

"But father," Itachi said. "Everyone knows Uchiha clan members are not allowed to join the ANBU. In fact all we are only allowed to join is the Police Force. How could I even get so far as to be tested for ANBU?"

Fugaku sipped his tea and said, "One day that will change Itachi. But for now this will have to do. Do not concern yourself with how. Just know that I know someone who is….sensitive…..to our plight. He will get you in, but only if you succeed in the upcoming mission. Itachi, you will be the backbone that connects our clan to Konohagakure. I expect nothing less from you but complete success."

Itachi stared at his father in silence as he knew just what he meant. "Yes father," he said as he bowed.

Again the scene reverted back to the red sky as Itachi and Sasuke was again alone. "And that's how it started for me," Itachi said. "A few weeks later I went on and completed that mission and joined the ranks of the ANBU. Almost immediately I was tasked by the clan to relay any and all classified information to them and I did so without fail. But as time went on, the uncomfortable feeling I had grew."

"With every Clan meeting I attended and every piece on information I gave them, the more uneasy I became" Itachi said. And as he spoke Sasuke saw the scene change over and over. Sasuke saw Itachi sitting in on different meetings, receiving orders from his father and relaying information to the elders. Sasuke even saw familiar scenes of times when he pestered Itachi to train him only for Itachi to refuse.

All the while Sasuke could see the change in his brothers' expressions. It was a look that he, as a child, mistook for annoyance towards him but was in fact sadness. It was the look of someone carrying a burden that was too much to bear.

"Finally I'd had enough," Itachi said. "And I'd decided to speak to my father about my concerns, no matter the outcome." Again the scene changed and Sasuke found himself back in his old home. Itachi opened the door and entered the room and looked about.

"I'm home," Itachi said as his mother came from the kitchen.

"Mother," Sasuke whispered as he looked at her smiling face. He felt a pang of regret and sorrow in his heart as he looked at her.

"Oh, Hello Itachi," She said. "How was you're day?"

"Just fine mother," Itachi said with a half-hearted smile. "Have you seen…?"

Just then Fugaku stepped out of a back room and entered the living room. "Hello father," Itachi said.

"Hello Itachi," Fugaku said. "How did your mission go?"

"Just fine," Itachi said. "But we need to talk father. It's about the other work you've been having me do. As well as the plans you've been working on. I have concerns."

"Concerns," Fugaku asked. "What concerns?"

Itachi took a deep breath and said, "Father, I am not sure a coup d'etat is the best path taken. I know that the Uchiha clan was unjustly suspected in the Kyubi incident but I just can't believe that revolution is the only way to resolve this problem."

Fugaku folded his arms and closed his eyes as was his custom when in deep thought. "Itachi," he said. "You are too young to fully grasp the plight of the Clan. Despite your ability you do not know what was taken from us. This is not just about securing the best future for our clan but about righting a great injustice of the past."

"Maybe so," Itachi said. "And you can call me young or naïve but there is one thing I know, the path we are taking only leads to war! A war that will cost many lives."

"No change comes without sacrifice," Fugaku said. "No war can be won without loss. It is one of the unbreakable truths of this world. And believe me when I say, that none of them, from the Hokage down to the youngest child…NONE OF THEM…..are innocent!"

Fugaku slowly opened his eyes as he spoke those words and his Sharingan was activated. Instinctively, as he was trained to do when confronted by a threat, Itachi immediately activated his Sharingan as well. It was then Itachi noticed the malice in his fathers' words. For what seemed like an eternity the two stared at each other in a silent tug of war that only can be done by two masters of the Sharingan.

After a moment Fugaku de-activated his Sharingan and walked past Itachi towards the door. "Father," Itachi said as he turned to face him.

"Enough," Fugaku said. "Itachi, what has been put into motion can not…will not….be stopped. As a member of the Uchiha you are expected to honor the clan appropriately. I will hear no more of this from you."

"But father," Itachi said.

"Enough," Fugaku yelled as he glared at Itachi. Itachi then felt his mothers' hand on his shoulder. When he looked at her she simply shook her head.

"As you wish father," Itachi said as Fugaku prepared to leave. "Where are you going?"

"Since when have I had to answer to you," Itachi said. "Where I go and what I do is none of your concern." Fugaku slammed the door behind him and left. Again the scene faded away and Sasuke and Itachi was once again alone.

"And that is how it began," Itachi said to Sasuke. "From that day a divide was placed between us. For me this was something I could not let alone. I hounded him, pleaded and begged him to reconsider many times after that. And every time he would refuse and we would argue. It was then I learned another truth about our father. Weakness wasn't the only thing he could not abide. He would not stand to be questioned. He refused to be challenged especially by his own son. But I would not relent because I think I didn't at the time fully understand the depths of the hatred my father and the rest of the clan felt. I didn't understand how far that hatred has taken them. But I would, very soon."

Again the scene in front of Sasuke began to change and he found himself in a deep wooded area. Standing in a small clearing was his father Fugaku. He was looking about as if scanning to ensure he was not being spied upon. Itachi then pointed to a darkened area and Sasuke noticed that Itachi was hidden there behind a tree.

Then Sasuke heard a familiar voice coming from another area. "I trust you were not followed Fugaku," the man said as he stepped into the clearing. Thanks to the light of the moon Sasuke could see his face and he gasped.

"That's Shimura Danzo," Sasuke said as Danzo stepped forward and removed the hood covering his head. He was flanked by two masked ANBU ninja who seemed at the ready for any assault.

"You should know me better than to think I'd allow that to happen Danzo," Fugaku said impatiently. "The real question is why you had these two come with you. We are supposed to come alone."

"Oh," Danzo said. "Well, I'm not one to take unnecessary risks like that. And neither are you it seems." Danzo then seemed to look in the direction where Itachi was hidden and Sasuke could see the fear etched on Itachi's face. But just then, the leaves rustled in the trees above Itachi and a female ninja dropped from the trees, landing beside Fugaku. "Hello Mikoto," Danzo said with a forced smile. "It's a pleasure to see you again. You look lovely as always"

"Mother," Sasuke wondered. "What's going on here?" Sasuke looked at Itachi who remained silent. Itachi then looked at the vision of Itachi still hiding and he could see the same surprise on Itachi's face as his own. _Brother_, Sasuke thought. _You followed father without his knowledge?_

Mikoto was dressed in a standard ANBU ninja outfit sans the mask and her hair was pinned back into a ponytail. Her hand was grasping the sword strapped to her back. Mikoto bowed at Danzo slightly but remained silent and instead kept her eyes on the two of his guards.

"Alright Danzo," Fugaku said. "Now that all of our cards on the table, let's get down to it. Itachi will get suspicious if we're gone for too long."

"Have you not told him the full scope of your plans yet Fugaku," Danzo asked.

Fugaku shook his head. "He's too idealistic to be trusted with that information. He still believes peace can be obtained through pacifistic ways."

Danzo shook his head. "It seems the flawed beliefs of Hiruzen has tainted your son Fugaku," Danoz said. "Are you sure he can still be trusted?"

"My son may be wayward but he knows his importance to the Uchiha," Fugaku responded.

"If you say so," Danzo said as he removed an envelope from his large sleeve and handed it to Fugaku. "Here is the itinerary for Hiruzen's movements as well as some of the villages future security plans," Danzo said as he handed it to Fugaku. "This should make your movements much easier when the time comes."

Fugaku took the envelope and opened it and read a bit of it before closing it back up. "You seem too eager to give this to me Danzo," Fugaku said. "If these plans are false it could be disastrous for my people. Whose to say this isn't a setup."

Mikoto instantly drew her sword just as Danzo's two guards drew kunai and leapt in front of him. For a brief moment everyone squared off until another voice came from the shadows. "Now now," the man said. "Every one needs to settle down. What good is an alliance if everyone is trying to kill each other?"

Sasuke gasped as the figure stepped out into the moon light. He instantly recognized the voice of the man and though the mask was different, with distinctive flame patterns, and his hair was longer, Sasuke still knew the man standing in the clearing. "Madara Uchiha," Sasuke whispered. "What was he doing there?"

"So you're here too Madara," Fugaku said.

"Of course," Madara said. "The time almost draws near. It's a chance for the Uchiha to finally right the wrongs of the past and repay the debt of betrayal against me."

"Hmpf," Fugaku said defiantly as he crossed his arms. "Betrayal? The Uchiha owe you nothing. We just only realize the wisdom of what you were trying to say all those years ago. But we wouldn't have to go so far if you hadn't failed with the Kyubi. Now the Uchiha are treated like a pariah for a perceived betrayal."

"Perceived," Madara asked and then laughed. "You seem to conveniently forget your role in the incident Fugaku. Don't forget that it was through your efforts that I was able to infiltrate so deeply into Konoha in the first place. And it was you're precious Mikoto who was able to keep tabs on when Kushina was going to have birth. So don't go thinking you're exactly without blame here."

"No," Sasuke whispered as he gritted his teeth. "No! There's no way my mother and father would be caught up in anything like this! There is no way!"

Sasuke continued to look on as the three men continued their conversation. He then looked to the vision of Itachi that remained hidden. Itachi was gripping the tree he hid behind so tightly that blood dripped from his fingertips. He gritted his teeth and Sasuke saw something that he had only seen once before in his life. He saw tears in the eyes of his brother.

"I will give you one warning Fugaku," Madara said as he seemed to look over Fugaku's shoulder towards the area where Itachi hid. "Do not be over confident with your son. Danzo is right about that. You never know where a man's heart truly lies, whether he be Uchiha or not."

Itachi gasped slightly as he realized that there was no mistaking the fact that this man was looking directly at him. Madara then turned and faced Fugaku and said. "Overconfidence is an unfortunate trait of the Uchiha. It has led to our downfall on too many an occasion."

Itachi swallowed hard and turned to leave. He wasn't sure why Madara chose not to say anything but he knew he had pressed his luck enough. Itachi leapt through the trees as quickly as he could for a long time before needing to rest and stopping on the large branch of an oak tree to catch his breath. Itachi gritted his teeth and punched the tree. "Damn it," he said. "Damn it father! Why!"

"Because of pride," a man answered behind him. Itachi quickly drew a kunai and turned to face him and gasped when he saw Madara standing before him. "That too is an unfortunate trait of those born with these eyes, the Uchiha Clan. We can not live being subservient to anyone. We have to be acknowledged as the best and the strongest, no matter the consequences. But you….Itachi Uchiha….despite your power…..you are not like that at all are you?"

Itachi quickly scanned the area to confirm no others where nearby. "Don't worry," Madara said. "We are alone. Your parents know nothing about your activities."

Itachi regarded the man for a moment and said, "Why would you say nothing?"

"Why should I say anything," Madara said. "It's not like you're an enemy are you? I mean you are helping your father in this aren't you?" Itachi looked to the ground as if in deep thought before looking again to Madara.

"I wonder," Madara said. "You are quite strong. I'd say there hasn't been an Uchiha as strong as you in quite some time. I wonder if you could do it."

"Do what," Itachi asked.

"Gain Mangekyo Sharingan," Madara asked.

"Mangekyo…Sharingan," Itachi asked.

"Yes," Madara responded. "I'm sure you've heard of it. You could do it if you tried. Do you know how to gain it?"

"Yes," Itachi said. "You have to kill someone very close to you. Like a best friend. But I would never….!"

"Yes I suppose you're right," Madara said. "It's not in your personality to be that cold is it? But then how do you plan to stop your father without that power?"

"What," Itachi asked.

"That is what you struggling with right," Madara asked. "You plan to stop him. And it bothers you. Am I right?" Again Itachi gritted his teeth.

"You'll never do it without that power," Madara said. "So what will you do?"

"I….." Itachi paused as he realized he wasn't sure.

"You could go to the Hokage with what you know," Madara said. "But then you couldn't tell him about me or Danzo. Not if you want him to take you seriously that is. So what will you do I wonder?" Madara suddenly began to disappear in a swirl of energy.

"Wait," Itachi yelled. "If you think I will betray your plans why are you letting me go!"

Before Madara faded he said, "Because my goals will be accomplished no matter what you do. It's too late for you to stop that. But I am curious to see how things play out. But remember one thing Itachi Uchiha, the strong will inevitably seek to gain more power while the weak will unknowingly give it away. It is one of the basic laws of nature."

Again the scene faded leaving Itachi and Sasuke alone. "And so it was that I learned the truth about that incident with the Kyubi so many years ago as well as the truth about my parents, my clan and Uchiha Madara," Itachi said.

"But I don't understand," Sasuke said. "Why did Madara let you live? It would have been easier to kill you no?"

"That's what I thought at that time myself," Itachi said. "But it wasn't until it was too late that I realized he was right. Nothing I did changed what was to come. Plus, Madara was right. He could see it in my eyes that I was going to betray my father. It was as inevitable as his own plans."

"But why," Sasuke said. "After what Konoha had done….!"

"But that's just it Sasuke," Itachi said. "Konoha had done nothing. I knew now that their suspicions of the Uchiha were not baseless. I knew now that the Uchiha was in fact guilty. It was just as Madara said. Our people, in spite of…no….that's not right….because of our own power, we are slaves to our own avarice."

"So what did you do next," Sasuke asked.

"The only thing I could think to do," Itachi said as the scene again began to change and Sasuke found himself in the office of the Hokage. Sitting at a large table was Sarutobi Hiruzen and he was joined in the room by the other elders: Homura Mitokado, Utatane Koharu and Shimura Danzo. Danzo, for his part, remained completely calm and gave no hint of fear or nervousness.

"They are what," The Third Hokage said, "Are you sure about this?"

Itachi nodded. "Unfortunately I am," he said. "I have personally been relaying top secret information to them since I became ANBU. For this I sincerely apologize."

"If this is true then how can you be trusted," Danzo asked as he glared at Itachi. "Someone who betrays their comrades are considered scum. You seem surprisingly easy with doing such things."

Itachi, for his part, glared right back and said, "Doing this is not easy. But….recent events…..have made it clear that this is wrong. My people need to be stopped. And I will do anything to stop them."

Again the scene faded and went dark, leaving Itachi and Sasuke alone. "Why didn't you tell them about Danzo and Madara," Sasuke asked.

"Because Madara was right," Itachi said. "Danzo was at highly regarded elder of the village and Madara was believed to have been killed decades ago. If I would have mentioned them without proof I would have been regarded as insane, and all of the other information, no matter what, would have been disregarded."

"I had to bide my time in order to find information about them," Itachi said. "But in the meantime I did confront Danzo and I agreed not to mention him to the other elders if he agreed not to mention my betrayal to my father. It would do neither of us any good at this point. And from that point forward I spied on the Uchiha. I would relay all information to the Elders and with their help we delayed the coup, while the Hokage insisted on stronger negotiation."

"For the next few weeks I believed things were progressing," Itachi said. "Though my father remained adamant that the Uchiha were not getting a fair deal, through my efforts we kept the coup from happening. But, I miscalculated my father. It seems the words said to him that night planted the seed of doubt in me and he indeed decided to have a spy follow me.

"And the person he gave the task to was someone I never would have expected and thus wasn't prepared for," Itachi said. "And it was that failure that led to everything unraveling. For you see it was on that day after a meeting with the elders of Konoha that I was confronted by my spy."

Again the scene changed and Sasuke saw that it was a bright sunny day. Sasuke instantly recognized the area as a secluded spot near the Naka River. Sasuke saw Itachi leaping through the trees when two kunai came flying at him from behind. Itachi quickly used a kunai to block the attack and quickly landed on the ground. His clothes were ripped and torn and he had a haggard appearance.

Itachi turned to face the person who landed on the ground behind him and Sasuke's eyes widened as he saw the man. "I remember him," Sasuke said. "That's Uchiha Shisui."

"Shisui," Itachi said through gasping breathes. "I'm begging you to stop this. You don't understand! Please just….just allow me to explain!"

"The time for explanation is past Itachi," Shisui said. Shisui also looked worn down and his clothes tattered. "When I was tasked to watch over you I truly believed this was a mistake! That you would never do anything to betray the clan! Now, I am ashamed to ever consider someone like you a friend!"

"Shisui," Itachi said. "You know me! You know I would never do anything like this if I didn't have good reason! Please….!"

"Enough," Shisui yelled. "I know what I saw Itachi! I saw you give over vital information to the elders! You place the entire operation in jeopardy! You put the lives of the clan in jeopardy!"

"The clan's duty is to protect Konoha first Shisui," Itachi yelled. "They're the ones who turned their backs on their comrades, not me! Why can't you see that? You don't have to blindly follow orders Shisui! Sometimes a ninja must question things!"

"Foolishness," Shisui said as he activated his Sharingan. "A ninja's job to complete his mission. It's not our job to question things! Itachi, it seems you have made your choice on who you will side with!"

Itachi took a deep breath and activated his Sharingan. "And it seems you have chosen yours as well," he said. Again the scene went dark and changed and Sasuke found himself still by the river. Itachi was badly wounded and knelt over the fallen body of Shisui.

"Shisui," Itachi said. "Please hold on! I can still save you!"

Shisui opened his eyes and spat blood into Itachi's face. "Go to hell you bastard," he said as his eyes closed for the last time.

Itachi's body seemed to shake as though he was suddenly cold all over. "Shisui," he yelled before screaming into the sky for anyone and no one to hear. Suddenly Itachi felt a sharp pain in his eyes and they began to bleed. It was then Sasuke saw the moment Itachi received the Mangekyo Sharingan. It was the first time Sasuke had seen such a display from his usually even keeled brother.

Just then Danzo appeared out of the shadows, flanked by two ANBU. "Hmmm," he said. "It seems things have taken a turn for the worse."

"You," Itachi said as he turned to face Danzo. Suddenly he was surrounded by a large skeletal figure that caused Danzo and his guards to step back in surprise. Itachi paused and looked about at the large creature that surrounded him. "T-This is Susanoo," he stuttered. "Then that means…."

"You have unlocked Mangekyo Sharingan," Danzo said. "Incredible. I was told that you had the potential but I'd never dreamed it could happen."

Itachi then glared at Danzo and said, "You, I warned you not to betray me Danzo!"

"I did no such thing," Danzo said. "You betrayed yourself. All of the protesting to your father finally convinced him to have you watched. What happened this day was your fault. Besides, did you really think you could do something like this without having to fight? Were you really so naïve to think no blood would be spilled to stop a coup?"

Slowly Susanoo faded away and Itachi stood silent for a while and then looked to Shisui. _Damn you Shisui_, he thought.

Danzo walked passed Itachi and looked at Shisui. "Leave," he said. "Leave now before you're discovered. Leave the disposal of this one to me."

"Why would you help me now," Itachi asked.

"I could spend the time to explain," Danzo said. "Or you could spend that time to get the hell out of here and establish an alibi for yourself. Which would you prefer?"

Itachi glared at Danzo before looking at Shisui again. "Tch," he said before he turned and left. Again, everything went dark and Sasuke and Itachi were alone.

"What happened after you already know," Itachi said. "I returned home until those Uchiha came to question me. And as for Shisui….what I learned later was the reason why Danzo let me go. He wanted to be alone with Shisui's corpse so he could retrieve his Sharingan. He then dumped the body in the river and forged a suicide note."

"Several days later Danzo summoned me to his home," Itachi said as the scene changed yet again.

"What," Itachi asked. "What did you say?"

"The Elders of the village have decided that the Uchiha must be exterminated for the sake of the village," Danzo said calmly.

"You can't be serious," Itachi said.

"Very," Danzo said. "Negotiations with the Uchiha is going no where as you would expect. And thanks to your intel we know for a fact they plan their coup within the next week. Time has run out. The other elders and I feel that this is best way to avoid a bloody war that could cripple the village and leave us open to attack from our enemies. The Uchiha must be put down. And, what's more, we think you should be the one to do it."

"Me," Itachi said. "Why me?"

"You know why," Danzo said. "To defeat Sharingan one must have Sharingan. And none have stronger eyes than you Itachi."

"You are asking me to kill my own family," Itachi said angrily.

"I am asking you to protect your home," Danzo said. "This was your decision to go against the will of your family. You knew this could happen. You chose your side. Now you must fulfill your commitment."

"But I don't understand," Itachi said. "Why would you want this? You were in league with them. What changed?"

Danzo took a deep breath and folded his arms. "My reasons are my own," Danzo said. "The Uchiha were not supposed to go as far as they are planning to go. At this rate if they go forward with their plans, win or lose I will be Hokage over a pile of rubble."

Itachi stared at the man for brief moment. He knew there was more to Danzo's change of heart than he was letting on. "Take a day to think it over," Danzo said. "It's all that we can spare."

Again the scene went dark and began to change as Itachi said to Sasuke, "But I didn't have a day as Danzo claimed. I was soon to learn than things were progressing far quicker than I assumed."

Sasuke looked about as he found himself in the streets of Konoha. Specifically it was the area of the village where the Uchiha clan lived. It was night and there was not a cloud in the sky under a full moon. Sasuke, in his heart, knew what night this was.

He saw Itachi walking down the desolate street. He was wearing his ANBU uniform. "I had just returned from a small insignificant mission that took only a half day to accomplish," Itachi said. "I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice how desolate the streets seemed."

There was a woman's scream that came from a nearby home and Itachi ran and leapt over the gate and into the yard. He knocked on the door and it creaked opened. As he cautiously walked in he gasped as he saw the fallen bodies of a woman and two men. Itachi knew them to be of the Uchiha clan. It was Daisuke Uchiha, his wife and fifteen year old son. They were murdered in cold blood.

"What," Itachi said as he cautiously approached the bodies. Before he could inspect them he heard another scream from the house next door. Itachi ran, leaping through an open window and slammed his shoulder into the front door, breaking it down. As Itachi sprinted into the living room he arrived just in time to see another man's bloodied body crumple to the ground. Standing above him was the masked man he saw that night, Madara Uchiha.

"You," Itachi said as he drew a kunai. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I think you already know," Madara said. "The time has come Itachi. The Uchiha have failed as a people. To protect Konoha they need to be erased.

"To protect Konoha," Itachi screamed. "You don't give a damn about Konoha!"

Madara laughed. "True," he said. "My reasons are more…..personal. For me this is punishment. Punishment for abandoning me all those years ago. This is divine judgment."

Itachi suddenly activated his Mangekyo Sharingan and said, "Well it ends here."

"You have yet to master those eyes," Madara said. "The best you could hope for with me is a tie. Besides, in your heart you know this is right. The Uchiha can't be reasoned with. It is not in our nature to remain second to anyone for long. You know this to be true. Don't you?"

"I may not be able to beat you," Itachi said. "But I know you can't beat me either. I can hold you off until…."

"Until what," Madara asked. "Until you're comrades can capture me? Fugaku can't do anything against me and all this will do is push him to retaliate. War is now inevitable. Unless…..you aid me now."

"Aid you," Itachi said. "I get it now. Danzo and the elders sent you. This is to force my hand."

Madara chuckled and said, "Indeed. I made a point for several members of your clan to see me dressed like this. Soon word will spread to every member of the clan of Konoha's "betrayal." You know what will happen then right? But you can stop it. Tonight, we can put an end to it. What will you do?"

Itachi paused and looked around as he desperately looked for a way out of this. Suddenly three Uchiha ninja stormed into the room and landed by Itachi. "Itachi what's going on," one of them yelled. "And who is this guy?"

"Is he the one that attacked us," another of the men asked.

The third man looked at the dead bodies on the floor and saw the blood dripping from Madara's fan. "This guy," he said. "We received reports that the attacker was Konoha ANBU. Now we know for sure!" Itachi eyes widened as he heard the man's words and gritted his teeth as he looked at the ground in deep thought.

"Damn them," the first man said. "It's just like Fugaku said. Konoha won't settle for anything less than open war between us!"

"Well, they are going to know the full wrath of the Uchiha soon enough," one of them said as Itachi slowly drew his kitana.

"Itachi," one of them said. "What can you tell us about his abilities." But Itachi remained motionless as he stared at the ground. His eyes seemed devoid of any life and his skin looked paler than usual. "Itachi?"

Suddenly Itachi turned and swung his blade slicing the man across his chest, killing him instantly. "What," the second man yelled in surprise.

"What's going on Itachi," the third man yelled.

Itachi looked at them and they gasped as they saw his Mangekyo Sharingan. "Shin, Takashi," Itachi said as his voice cracked. "Please forgive me." Madara smiled as he watched Itachi kill both men.

Itachi remained silent as he stood among the bodies of his fallen comrades. The only sound he could hear was the slow drip of blood from his sword landing in the pool of blood at his feet. "So you've decided," Madara said. Itachi remained silent as if he hadn't heard him. "Well, we can't remain here any longer. I'll make my way to the center of the district and take out all the Uchiha. I'll take care of Fugaku as well. You should…."

"No," Itachi said as he finally looked at him. Sasuke looked into his brother's eyes and saw the same dead look that haunted his nightmares for so many years. "I'll go in that direction. I will deal with my family. You deal with the other elders."

Itachi turned to leave when Madara said, "How can I trust that you will do what is needed?"

"You can't," Itachi said before he vanished.

Sasuke watched as Itachi made his way towards the center of the district. While on his way, Itachi went from house to house killing every man, woman and child. Sasuke looked away in horror and disgust when Itachi entered the home of the girl Itachi had been seeing and killed her parents before entering her room. She cried and begged as Itachi coldly raised his sword and stabbed her through the chest. "Damn it," Sasuke said as he gritted his teeth.

With every swing of his sword and with every ounce of blood spilled Itachi's eyes grew colder, his face paler and more and more he began to look like the man Sasuke remembered that night. It was then Sasuke realized that the man Sasuke saw that night was not his brother. Somewhere along the line, Itachi died that night. What remained was a ghost.

Itachi glared at his home as he stood out in the middle of the street. All along the street the bodies of his former comrades, people he used to smile and talk with littered the ground. Their blood soaked the earth. A cold, wind blew that the creature that was once Itachi ignored.

Slowly Itachi approached the door and opened it. The house was dark except for a low light emanating from the living room. Slowly Itachi walked in and saw his father standing over the fireplace staring at the crackling fire. "So you've saved me for last, eh Itachi," he asked. "How big of you."

"This was bought onto yourself father," Itachi said. "You're pride brought down the Uchiha."

"I disagree," Fugaku said. "What brought down the Uchiha was me choosing to impregnate your whore of a mother with a traitorous demon seed such as yourself. I should have killed you before they cut the umbilical cord."

Itachi winced at his fathers' words but after a moment he composed himself. Despite his fathers words he felt as though they were right. Now more than ever he wished he had never been born. "Run," Itachi said. Fugaku raised his head and looked at him. "Take mother and Sasuke and run. I'll say that you defeated me. Or that I couldn't find you. But please father, just go."

"Brother," Sasuke whispered as he watched.

Fugaku stared at him and smiled. ""Don't call me that," he said. "Don't call me father. I could never be the father of someone like you."

"Damn you," Itachi said. "Why must you be so prideful? You led the Uchiha Clan to destruction and shame because of your pride! We had a good life! We had a peaceful life!"

"That peace was a lie," Fugaku yelled. "It was built by the blood of the Uchiha yet the Uchiha, the most powerful clan in the most powerful village had no say in the village's future! We were slaves! Hated, feared and yet relied upon for our power! What kind of life is that?"

"And that was worth all of this," Itachi asked. "It was worth killing your own comrades?"

"The strong will inevitably seek to gain more power while the weak will unknowingly give it away," Fugaku said. "Why should the Uchiha be any different?"

_Those words_, Itachi thought as he gritted his teeth. It was then he knew that talk was pointless. It was not his words that his father listened to now. Itachi looked at his father and saw that he had activated his Sharingan and had reached for a nearby sword. "Will you not leave Fugaku," Itachi asked one last time.

"It's too late to run," Fugaku said. "For myself and your mother." Fugaku motioned to the center of the living room and Itachi gasped as he saw the bloody body of his mother lying on her back in the center of the floor.

"Mother," he yelled as he ran to her. Itachi lifted her head and checked but quickly knew she was gone. "What have you done?"

"I did what you were planning to do," Fugaku said. "But I refused to give you the satisfaction. She wanted this. She said she would not die by her own son's hand. She chose a more, honorable death."

"Where is Sasuke," Itachi asked.

"He should be home soon," Fugaku said. "Just in time to see the death of his traitorous brother. Sasuke….I will put my all into him. He will become what you could never be."

Fugaku moved with incredible speed and was right behind Itachi with his sword raised. "Yes," Itachi said just loud enough for his father to hear. Fugaku swung the sword down only for it to strike what he could only describe as a large glowing rib cage that surrounded Itachi, acting as a shield.

"W-What is this," Fugaku said in shock. He quickly took a few steps back as Itachi gently put his mother down and turned to face him.

"My brother will be more than I could ever be," Itachi said as the ribs began to grow into a large skeletal upper body. "He will be more than you could ever be as well father. I will make sure he transcends the Uchiha and washes the stain of our hate from history. This is what I can give him. This he will attain through me."

"Your eyes," Fugaku said in shock. "Where did you get those eyes!"

"You want to know," Itachi said. Fugaku's vision suddenly changed and he found himself in a dark world with crimson skies. He was now bound to a cross with his son looking up at him. "Let me show you. Let me show you my power and the pain I endured in order to achieve it."

Fugaku screamed as his torture began and his body slumped to the ground dead a moment later. Itachi stared at his father's body for what seemed like forever before he finally walked over to it and lifted it up and threw it atop his mother. He then left the house and leapt up to the roof and ran across he roof tops until he reached the district border and then leapt up to the nearest light pole. Just then he looked down to see Sasuke coming home. Sasuke's nightmare, his path, his cross, was about to begin.

Once again Sasuke and his brother were alone in the darkness. Sasuke was slumped over as he cried in silence. "So now you know the truth of it Sasuke," Itachi said. "Now you know the true nature of the hate and pain that you bear."

"But why," Sasuke said as he wiped his eyes and got to his feet. "Why go so far to show me this now?"

Itachi looked up as if he was carefully contemplating the question. "To be honest," Itachi said. "This wasn't something I wanted to ever do. I was hoping that through me, you could focus your hate away from Konoha. But I miscalculated Madara's deviousness. But perhaps now, at the end, I can put things to right."

Sasuke stared at Itachi and then said, "I'm sorry Itachi. I know that you want me to fight for Konoha. But I can't. Not after everything. Not after…."

Itachi walked up and placed his hand on Sasuke's arm. "Sasuke, if you can seek revenge for the sake of one brother, why can't you seek peace for the sake of another?"

Sasuke looked at Itachi with a confused expression and asked, "Another…brother?"

Suddenly a vision of Naruto, back when he was twelve, was standing next to Itachi. He had a big smile on his face and his hands were behind his head. And then he began to hear Naruto's voice as if it emanated from all around him. _"When I'm with you, I wonder if this is what it feels like to have a brother. For me, you're one of the first bonds I've ever had."_

Naruto's words echoed around Sasuke as he saw Naruto seem to age until he looked as he did when he was fourteen. Still he continued to smile at Sasuke. And again he heard Naruto's voice echoing. _"Someone who can't save one friend has no right to Hokage. Don't you think, Sasuke?"_

Then Sasuke heard Itachi's voice echoing. _"What is it about my brother that makes you care about him so much? He's a rogue ninja who abandoned you."_

"_Because he is like a brother to me," _Naruto andswered. _"And I'm a better brother than you ever were."_

Sasuke stared as the vision of Naruto grow up once more until he looked as he did now. "You want to know why I have done all that I've done," Itachi asked. "Because I knew you had the strength to go beyond all those who have come before. You could break the cycle of hatred in the Uchiha."

Sasuke stared at his brother and back at the smiling vision of Naruto. Suddenly he felt a tear roll down his cheek. "I-I can't," Sasuke said. "I've gone too far. There is nothing but darkness I see all around me."

The vision of Naruto stopped smiling and walked up to Sasuke while Itachi walked up to him. Sasuke found himself in between them both. Naruto placed his hand on his right shoulder while Itachi placed his hand on Itachi's left shoulder. "When I was very young someone once told me that a good man learns from the mistakes of the past," Itachi said. "But a great man never allows the past to rule his future. I have faith in you little brother. We both do."

Sasuke merely looked down at the ground as he felt both Naruto and Itachi smiling at him. After what felt like an eternity, Itachi removed his hand and the vision of Naruto faded away. Itachi looked at his hand and saw it was beginning to fade away. "Hmmm," Itachi said. "It seems my time is up."

"Itachi," Sasuke said.

"I'd best get on with it then," Itachi said. "I never expected Madara would give you the Rinnegan. And I don't have the ability to take it away all at once. But I can make it so it will fade in time. No matter what future you make for yourself you will do so with the Uchiha's eyes. Not those abominations."

Itachi suddenly stabbed two fingers into Sasuke's eyes causing him to scream out in pain. "I'm glad we got to talk one last time Sasuke," Itachi said as he smiled. "See you around, little brother."

Naruto and Sasuke both screamed as they tumbled backwards to the ground. As soon as Naruto hit the ground the incredible pain he felt in his eyes almost instantly disappeared as if it had never happened.

Naruto's vision was blurry as he slowly opened his eyes and looked at his hand. His vision quickly began to clear as he saw Sasuke slowly sitting up. _What happened_, Naruto thought as he fought to gain his bearings. _The last thing I remember was hearing a voice. For a second I swore I saw Sasuke's brother and then…..I….I don't remember._

Naruto looked over towards Sasuke who remained seated on the ground staring into the sky. Sasuke then looked over to Sasuke and Naruto was surprised to see streaks of fresh blood leading from his eyes like tears. The Rinnegan was also gone and Sasuke only had the Sharingan. Sasuke's face had a solen look on it as he looked into Naruto's blue eyes. _So_, he thought_. He no longer has the Sharingan._

Both men slowly go to their feet as they continued to stare each other down. Sasuke then felt something hit his foot. He looked down and saw Naruto's tool kit. _It must have fallen off during our fight_, he thought. The kit was open and as he glanced inside he saw some blue cloth. Sasuke reached in and pulled it out and was surprised to see that it was his old headband_. Naruto, you…._

Sasuke gripped it tight as he dropped the kit. "Hey…..loser," Sasuke said. "You ever wonder what life would have been like if I'd never left?"

Naruto stared at Sasuke for a moment and some of the tension seemed to fade. _What happened_, he thought. _Something is different with him. _"All the time," Naruto finally said. "Bringing you home was what fueled me all these years. I would think about how different things would be if you had just…listened to me."

Sasuke bit his lip as he stared at his head band. He shook his head slightly as he played with the cloth in his fingers. Then, to Naruto's amazement, Sasuke smiled. It was a small smile, but a smile nonetheless. "I've never once thought about it," he said. "Not once in all these years have I given my decision to leave a second momentary thought. Until now."

"And you know what I realize," Sasuke said. "That even if I'd never left, some things wouldn't have changed."

Naruto's eyes grew wide and his mouth hung open as he saw something he thought he'd never see again. Sasuke put on his headband. "S-Sasuke," he said.

"Whether I had left or not we'd still be right here," he said. "You and me. We would still need to settle this once and for all. So….no more games. No more threats, no more cheating. Right here, right now…let's find out which of us is stronger."

Naruto and Sasuke glared at each other and then took off in a sprint. They each yelled as they threw a punch. Their fists cracked into each other with such force it sent shock waves all around. Both men leapt back and Sasuke said, "Naruto, you'd better come at me like you want to kill me. Because if you don't…..you will die."

End of Chapter 34

Next Time: Sasuke's Decision


	36. Sasuke's Decision

**INTRODUCTION**

Hello, and welcome back to the End of Innocence. As always I like to begin by stating I do not own Naruto.

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**THANK YOU**

A special thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: NarutoBigFreak; Shauni2420; SenninClaudio; airnaruto45; maxslayer10; Diamond Man; xXbeautifullyshatteredXx; charles cdv; FoxSage19; theshrewedshrew; Kushina's Truth of Hell; perfect beauty; InARealPickle; ZeroTail29; Mudcake; Ben Vilhaven; Christina322; Shinobi111; Operaman Bye Bye & Konoha's Crimson Fox.

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**RESPONCES**

**NarutoBigFreak** - Thanx!

**Shauni2420** - If you know anything about my story then you should know I like to take my time. I hope I didn't make you wait too long for this chapter. =D

**SenninClaudio** - Well, I thought about this chapter for a long time and after a few re-edits I think I've come up with a great new chapter. Hope you like it.

**airnaruto45** - The Ninth! Definitely the Ninth for two reasons. 1. Thier treachery knew no limitations in life and 2. They would settle for nothing less than the Highest level. They are the Uchiha afterall! Lol!

**maxslayer10** - Well, Sasuke knew Naruto was using the name Namikaze. So he knew who Naruto's father and mother already were.

**Diamond Man** - I plan to clarify Sasuke's reasoning a bit in this chapter. I left it a bit vague and confusing on purpose. Glad you liked the chapter.

**beautifullyshattered** - Well yes, I kinda think Sai and Hinata would make a nice couple. So I've begun the process of those two possibly getting together in my universe. IMO, Itachi had to play a big role in the end. And I'm happy my attempt at it was so well received. And I thought it would be important to allow Sasuke have a momenty to speak with his brother like Naruto had with his parents. I hope the bi-weekly wait isn't too long for you. =D

**Charles cdv** - Ok, are you talking about my story or are you eating Mcdonalds? Lol!

**FoxSage19** - It was very important to me to finally resolve the issues between the brothers and Naruto and I think this was the best way to do so. If Kishi does the same I will completly support it. Glad you enjoyed it.

**theshrewedshrew** - Here's the thing about my Itachi story, I wanted to intergrate it with all of the things Kishi established in the canon so it became plausible. If you remember: there was a scene in the canon where Kushina tells Naruto how she and Sasuke's mom were friends. In fact Kushina tells her that she is close to having the child. I believe Sasuke's mom is the one who betrays Kushina to Madara. It was also stated that the Uchiha were not there during that incedent which means they knew what was to happen. I took a few creative liberties here and there but for the most part I wanted my story and Kishi's to match up.

I have always wanted to read Kishi's brother's work but I never had the time. It is on my to do list though. And though I personally don't believe in fate I do believe Sasuke was right when he said that a final showdown between he and Naruto was inevitable. Glad you loved the chapter and sorry I had you waiting up so late for nothing.

**Kushina's** - Itachi in the end became a very cool and tragic character once you learned his true story. Kishi does have the uncanny abilty to control our emotions about characters quickly. Glad I was able to touch you that way...emotionally! I mean touch you emotionally! Heh...heh...heh..._..._

**perfect beauty** - Thanx.

**InARealPickle** - LMAO! WOW! I'm not really sure what's funnier...the idea that this chapter is some sort of love letter to the Uchiha. Or that I am some sort of Uchiha fanboy!

1. This story has as much to do with settling Naruto's relationship with Sasuke as with anything else. It was inevitible that I cover this as well dealing with the unresolved issues between Sasuke and Itachi. And considering I spend most of the time showing the treachery of the Uchiha I can't see how you could think that this was a possitive story.

2. If you knew me, or rather, if you followed the posts I write in or you would know I am actually anti-Sasuke. But this story isn't about my beliefs. It's about doing what's right for the sake of the characters. So I left my beliefs regarding what I would do about Sasuke aside. Instead I looked at Naruto and who he is as a character and did what I think is more likely to happen.

Hope this helps to clarify my stance on things. =D

**ZeroTail29** - Thanx.

**Mudcake** - Glad you loved the chapter Mudcake. About Mikoto Uchiha. Don't be shocked if Kishi makes it so she betrayed Kushina. Remember, Kishi gave us a scene where Kushina tells Mikoto that she expects to give birth any day now. And Madara had to find out about it somehow. PLus Itachi's parents wern't around during the attack. I think Mikoto, in the canon is guilty of something.

I still have so much work to do before I'm good enough to write a book. But thanx for the complement.

**Ben Vilhaven** - Relly? I'll have to go back and find that error. So you liked the SaixHina pairing too huh? YATTA! I really think that thier personalities really match up well. And yes, as the new head of the Hyuga she can pretty much do what she wants and be with who she wants. =D

Glad you love/hate my cliffhangers!

**Christina322** - Here's a little secret, I was the same. I was introduced to the series via Cartoon Network and eventually I began watching the subbed versions online and then the manga. =D

Though Sasuke is not my favorite character. Actually, I'm a bit of a Sasuke hater TBH. But I felt I had to put my bias aside and present things as honestly as I believe it should be. These three had unresolved issues I believed had to be resolved for all of them to finally move on and that was what this chapter was about. I'm glad the emotion I tried to convey through these characters affected you. Sometimes it's tough to do that without actual visual aids. And don't worry about the long review. I love long reviews. It allows me to really get a sense of what your thoughts are about the chapter. I hope to hear from you again. ;)

**Shinobi111** - Don't be ready to assume that Sasuke's a nice guy all of don't just go from evil to nice in a moment's notice. Lol!

**operaman bye bye** - Nope. He wants to become the host of the Jyubi in my story, same as in the canon.

**Konoha's Crimson Fox** - Thanx.

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**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

Ok, so here is Chapter 36 of my story.** Please** remember to leave a little **review** for this chapter. And Happy Canada day or Independance Day for all of the Candians and American's out there. =D

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XXXVI: Sasuke's Decision

_******Konoha – Outside the Hokage's Mansion******_

Flanked by Koharu and Homura, Tsunade stepped outside and stood on the steps of the Hokage Mansion to greet The Raikage and Kazekage. "Lords Raikage and Kazekage, it's a pleasure to see you again," Tsunade said with a smile. "I can't thank you enough for your assistance in this battle. I shudder to think what would have happened had you both not shown up when you did."

"Yes, yes," the Raikage said. "Tell me Lord Fifth, where is the Sixth Hokage?"

"He is…..indisposed at the moment," Tsunade said. "I've taken over control of all operations."

"Indisposed," The Raikage asked as he followed everyone back into the mansion. "What could be so important that it would take precedence over a war?"

Tsunade remained silent as the Raikage looked at her. It was obvious he wasn't going to get any further answers. The Raikage sighed and then said, "Alright then, since you are handling things I would assume it was you who allowed the Jinchuriki to leave the village and enter the battlefield? What the hell are you thinking Lady Hokage?"

"I have to agree with the Raikage," Gaara said. "I don't believe it was wise to let him go, especially without any escorts."

"For all we know he could be in Madara's clutches by now," The Raikage said angrily. "This was completely reckless Tsunade!"

Tsunade smiled weakly as for a moment she seemed a million miles away. She could remember Naruto's words to her so many years ago. _"You and I are different," Naruto said. "I'll definitely take the name Hokage. Because it's my Dream to become Hokage! Until I become Hokage…..I refuse to die!"_

Tsunade then looked to the Raikage and Gaara and said, "You're both probably right. But you Gaara, know as well as I do, Naruto is someone that just makes you want to bet on him. He'll find a way. He always does." Gaara nodded his head in agreement and appeared satisfied with the answer.

"Tch, nonsense," the Raikage said dismissively. "I'm sorry but I operate in reality. And in reality I see Akatsuki as the organization that successfully captured eight of the nine Tailed Beasts including my own brother. They should not be underestimated so easily. Now what are we doing to stop them?"

"As you know all of our armies withstood heavy casualties," Tsunade said. "Right now I'd say we've lost roughly half our fighting force to either death or injury. I've ordered half of our remaining force to guard our perimeter. Konan, the self appointed Arashikage, is gathering the other half to prepare a counter offensive. I'm awaiting her word."

"And that's another thing," The Raikage said. "This Konan, from what I understand she is a former Akatsuki herself. Should you be so ready to trust her?"

"Konan has proven her loyalty with the blood of her own people in this war," Tsunade said. "She made a point of having her people on the front line and it has cost her dearly. Not only that but Naruto himself vouched for her. That's good enough for me."

Just then a ninja came running up to them. "Lady Hokage," he yelled as he ran up and dropped to one knee. He then handed her a small scroll which she read quickly and intently.

"Hmm, it looks like our perimeter has been successfully secured," she said. "And our counter task force is ready to go. Excellent."

Just then another ninja came running in. "Lady Hokage, Lady Hokage," she yelled as ran up to Tsunade. "We've just received something you need to see immediately." The ninja then reached behind her a pulled out a small slug, about the size of her hand.

"That's Kotetsu," Tsunade said as she reached out and took the Slug. "This is Sakura's Slug summon." Kotetsu appeared weak and damaged. It was clear the creature was barely hanging on.

"Tsunade-sama," Kotetsu said. "Sakura-sama…..sent me. She…wanted me to tell you that…Naruto-kun is right now fighting Uchiha Sasuke. He's located roughly ten miles north east…..of here. Sakura-sama fears that Naruto-kun needs help. She's asking that we send him assistance there immediately."

"Right," Tsunade said. She quickly looked to Inoichi and said, "Have the entire force head to that location! Inform Konan and the squad leaders that I expect nothing less than for them to move at full speed. Anyone who can't keep up is to be left behind!"

Inoichi quickly turned and began to relay the information when Tsunade noticed Gaara was walking towards the exit. "Gaara," she said. "Where are you going?"

"To help save my friend," Gaara said. "I intend to make sure everyone gets there as quickly as possible."

The Raikage quickly turned to follow Gaara out the door. "He's right," he said. "If I'm going to witness the end of the world I'd rather fight against it than sit here!"

Tsunade took a deep sigh and began to follow when Koharu said, "Tsunade, where do you think you're going?"

"You can't go as well," Homura said. "With Danzo missing you are the Hokage. Someone must remain here to control things!"

"The Hokage huh," Tsunade said as she seemed to be thinking something over. "Come to think of it there is something I need to speak to you about." Koharu and Homura merely looked at Tsunade in confusion as she smiled at them.

_******Meanwhile******_

Naruto blocked Sasuke's kick with his right arm and threw a punch that hit Sasuke squarely in the jaw. The force of the blow nearly made Sasuke tumble back and fall but he quickly gathered himself. Sasuke wiped the blood from his mouth as he glared at Naruto. "Is this the best you can do," he asked. "I keep telling you, if you keep holding back you're going to die!"

Sasuke sprinted towards Naruto and leapt into the air. Sasuke kicked Naruto but Naruto was able to block the attack. Sasuke quickly spun in the air and back kicked Naruto from the other side sending him crashing into the ground.

Sasuke wasted no time as he quickly leapt high into the sky and yelled as he came crashing down and slammed his knee directly into Naruto's spine and rolled back and up onto his feet.

Naruto screamed and winced in pain as he looked up at Sasuke's face. "Get up Naruto," Sasuke said. "This can't be your best. I want to fight you at your best."

Once the pain became manageable Naruto slowly got to his feet and began to limp towards Sasuke. His limp slowly increased to walking, then running, and soon he was sprinting towards him. Naruto closed in and threw a right cross that Sasuke blocked. He then immediately followed it up with a left and caught Sasuke squarely. Before he could recover, Naruto punched him with a right, then a left, then a right and a left before he kicked Sasuke in the chest knocking him back and to the ground.

Naruto stopped and leaned forward on his knees and was breathing heavily as Sasuke remained face down on the ground motionless. After a few moments Sasuke slowly began to get to his feet. His face was bruised and blood was leaking from his nose. "Why did you stop," he said. "Didn't I tell you not to hold back?"

Sasuke suddenly took off towards Naruto, he leapt into the air and threw a roundhouse kick at him. Naruto caught Sasuke's leg in mid air and swung him around and slammed Sasuke to the ground. He then punched Sasuke several times before Sasuke was able to kick him in the face, knocking Naruto back.

Both men grimaced in pain as they slowly got to their feet and stared each other down. They then took off running at each other. Naruto threw a punch and Sasuke grabbed his arm and flipped him upside down. While still in the air, Sasuke kicked Naruto in the chest and Naruto's body was launched back and slammed head first into the ground before his body tumbled to a stop.

Sasuke immediately sprinted towards him and threw a punch at Naruto. But Naruto caught it, clamped his legs around Sasuke's waist and rolled back pinning Sasuke underneath him. Naruto immediately began punching Sasuke in the face over and over until his knuckles began to bleed.

Finally tired, Naruto stopped and remained on top of Sasuke gasping for breath. Sasuke remained silent. His eyes were open as he looked off to the side. His face was even more bruised and he spat out blood. He then looked at Naruto and asked, "Why did you stop? What happened to your killer instinct? Are you giving me time to attack you?"

Naruto stared at Sasuke for a moment before asking, "Why are you doing this Sasuke? It's almost like you want me to beat you to death."

Sasuke's body began to crackle with electrical energy, forcing Naruto to leap off of him. Slowly Sasuke staggered to his feet and looked at Naruto. "You want to protect your home don't you," he asked. "You want to protect your precious comrades right! Well, I plan to kill them! I plan to kill them all! So stop me! You've always wanted to know which of us was stronger! Just like I did! So find out now! Let's finish it!"

"Right," Naruto said. "With this I'll end it, Sasuke." Naruto created a rasengan in his right hand just as Sasuke created a Chidori. Both men stared each other down as they prepared for this one, final move. Just then Naruto felt a sudden shift in his mind as if an alarm had gone off.

Naruto looked off behind him and was so wrapped up in whatever he was thinking about that his Rasengan faded away. "Sakura-chan," Naruto whispered.

"What's that," Sasuke asked.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said even more nervous. "Her chakra….I-It's dropping incredibly fast. Something's wrong!" Naruto reached out with his mind trying to grasp hold of her chakra but it was weak, too weak. "I-I-I have to go to her," he yelled. "Granny Toad!"

Out from the trees, Shima leapt into the clearing. She already knew what Naruto wanted and as she unwrapped the large scroll she said, "Right, Naruto-boy!"

Sasuke looked on curiously. _So that's the creature with the low chakra signature that was helping Naruto_, he thought.

Shima made seval hand seals and said, "Reverse Summoning Jutsu!"

A Naruto Sage clone appeared in a puff of smoke and Naruo quickly reversed the jutsu. Sasuke was surprised to see that Naruto was once again in his Sage form. _So that's how he did it_, Sasuke thought.

"That's the last clone NAauto-boy," Shima said. "Be careful!"

"Right," Naruto replied. "Thank you Granny Toad. You should head home now."

Shima looked at Sasuke with a stern expression as Sasuke looked back with a blank look on his face before she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I'm sorry Sasuke," Naruto said, "but I need to leave!" Naruto leapt up towards the nearest branch only for Sasuke to appear in his way.

"Where are you going Naruto," Sasuke said blankly.

"Didn't you hear me Sasuke," Naruto yelled. "Sakura's in trouble! I need to go to her!"

"Why should I care about such a thing," Sasuke said. "My purpose here is to fight you. I already told you, I finally want to settle which one of us is stronger."

"Sasuke," Naruto yelled as he glared at him. "This is the last time I'm going to tell you to get out of my way."

Sasuke stared at Naruto's wild eyes. He could see the desperation in them. "However," he said. "It's clear that right now you are too distracted to give me your best." Sasuke stepped aside. "Go," he said. "Rid yourself of the distraction and then return. I'll wait for you here."

Naruto walked just past Sasuke and said, "I could use your help in this Sasuke. You and I both know he's there."

Sasuke sighed and said, "My, my, but you're still an idiot aren't you? Saving people….that's always something you've been good at. Not me. You should hurry. I won't wait around forever."

Naruto nodded and handed Sasuke something. "In case you change your mind," Naruto said before vanishing before Sasuke eyes leaving him alone.

Sasuke leapt back down to the ground and slowly walked towards a large fallen tree. As he walked through the large clearing he looked about at all of the craters, broken trees, destroyed boulders and all the other signs of his and Naruto's battle.

Sasuke reached the fallen tree and took a seat and sat solemnly for a long while. After a moment he opened his hand to see what Naruto handed him and was surprised to see it was a soldier pill. Sasuke stared at it for a long while and then said, "In case I change my mind huh?" Sasuke dropped the pill on the ground and leaned back looking up at the sky. The moon was now reaching in front of the sun. "Naruto, you really are a fucking idiot."

_******Meanwhile – Elsewhere******_

Naruto pulled his special kunai from the tree it was embedded in. It was the same kunai Sakura had pulled from his belt and threw at Kisame before he left her to fight on her own. He had teleported here hoping Sakura would be nearby but she was still a ways away. Naruto placed the kunai in his tool kit and looked around at all the destruction around. _I never should have left her_, the thought as he took off towards her direction.

_******Meanwhile – Elsewhere******_

Madara stood calmly as he held Sakura in the air by the neck using only one hand. "Quite impressive Haruno Sakura," Madara said as he continued to squeeze. A feint glow was emanating from Sakura's neck as she clutched at Madara's hand. "You're using the last of your chakra reserves and flooding it into the muscles in your neck preventing me from snapping it."

Sakura was frantically pulling and Madara's fingers while trying to kick free. She could feel the last of her chakra beginning to give out. Madara's grip was getting tighter and she was finding it harder and harder to breathe. "However," Madara said. "It seems you are finally at your limit."

The last of Sakura's chakra finally gave out as the muscles in her neck relaxed and Madara immediately began to apply more pressure. Sakura's vision became hazy and her head was pounding. "N-Nar-u-to," she was able to whisper as she finally lost consciousness.

As Madara was about to squeeze the last bit of life from her he saw a shadow in front of his that was fast approaching. Someone was coming up from behind him at an incredible speed. Unable to dodge Madara instead turned intangible, causing Sakura to fall limply through his hand. At the exact same time his attacker passed harmlessly through him and Madara instantly turned solid and threw a punch at his attackers back only for the man to grab Sakura's falling body and vanish along with Sakura before his eyes.

"Hmmm," Madara said. "So he did learn that technique."

On the other side of the lake Naruto gently placed Sakura on the ground and propped her against a tree. He lightly brushed back the hair out of her face as he ensured she had no critical injuries. Naruto wasn't a medical ninja, but in his time traveling alone he learned enough to treat emergencies. Her neck was bruised from Madara's grip and she had many other bruises, cuts and bumps but nothing looked dangerous. Her breathing was shallow but steady. Naruto sighed in relief as he pulled one of his special kunai from the tree and gently wrapped Sakura's hand's around the hilt and placed it on her chest.

"Impressive isn't she," Madara said as he stood several feet behind Naruto. Naruto remained unconcerned as he continued to ensure Sakura was fine. He didn't even look back. "I've been alive for over one hundred years and in that time I have seen many amazing things. None to me are more amazing than witnessing the creation of a new genetic mutation within a person known as Kekkei Genkai."

"Kekkei Genkai," Naruto whispered as he continued to observe Sakura as she slept.

""Yes," Madara said. "As you know, Kekkai Genkai are abilities that can only be passed down through blood lines. But every Kekkei Genkai has a point zero. Or rather a beginning mutation. She appears to be that beginning. I have seen this before. I would say that about one in one hundred thousand are born with the genetic combination that would allow them to create a new Kekkei Genkai. But of that few, less than a third ever do."

"But that's not always the blessing is sounds like," Madara said. "Because the Kekkei Genkai is new it is often unpredictable and uncontrollable. Many are killed by their own power. I have witnessed a man burn themselves alive and drown themselves. Once, I even saw a young boy who had the ability to secrete acid from the pours in his skin. Unfortunately he himself, was not immune to that acid. It was not a pleasant death.

"But her…..she's different…..very different," he said. "In fact I'd say that her Kekkei Genkai is one of the most unique you could ever find. To put it simply her Kekkei Genkai is….Complete Chakra Control."

"Complete Chakra Control," Naruto whispered.

"Her Kekkei Genkai she performs on herself," Madara said. "Many ninja can control their chakra. Some can do it at a higher level. But she can command her chakra on a cellular level. The earliest manifestation of her power was so subtle it probably wasn't even noticed by Tsunade."

"Her healing ability," Madara said. "It's exceptional. Even more so that Tsunade's. She can heal injuries that should kill others. And that's because as a medical ninja with this special Kekkei Genkai she can control and adapt her chakra to a greater extent than anyone before her. Send a command to heal and it will heal so long as she has enough chakra."

"Conversely," Madara continued. "Just as she can command her chakra to heal she can also command her chakra to kill."

Naruto gasped as he heard Madara's words. "You mean…."

"Yes," Madara said. "That is how she defeated Kisame. Kisame, in his shark form, can directly absorb chakra from his target and use it to fuel his own body. Well, as he was absorbing her chakra, in an act of desperation, she likely wished he would die and subconsciously sent the command. Her chakra adapted and became like a poison. Kisame absorbed it and the chakra attacked his vital organs and chakra network like a virus. He never stood a chance."

Naruto took a deep breath and stood up and slowly turned to face Madara. Madara continued to look at Sakura and said, "Think about it," he said. "A Kekkei Genkai that allows you to heal almost any wound, that makes you practically immune to any poison, gives you the ability to break any Genjutsu and that can allow you to heal and even kill with just a touch. It's a shame she's such a detriment to my plans. I would love to experiment on her."

Naruto clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "You'll never touch her," he yelled. "You will never touch a hair on her head again." Madara and Naruto remained silent as the stared at each other. "Why did you bother to tell me all of that anyway?"

"Why," Madara asked. He then looked up at the moon and sun and said, "I guess I'm just stalling for time." Madara then laughed as Naruto tensed up.

"I see," Naruto said. Suddenly Naruto was inches from Madara and punched him in the face launching him airborne. Before Madara could hit the floor Naruto appeared behind him and kneed him in the back pitching Madara high up into the sky. Again Naruto appeared above Madara as he ascended into the sky and Naruto grabbed him by the face mask and began descending down to the earth below and slammed the back of Madara's head into the ground, causing the earth beneath Madara's head to crack.

Naruto stood up over Madara and stared at him impassively before taking a few steps back. Madara quickly opened his eyes and sat up. "My, my, my, you sure are fast," Madara said. "You may even be faster than your father."

Madara got to his feet and then shrugged. "But none of that really matters Naruto-kun," he said. "Nothing you can do can change things now." Naruto roared as the sprinted at Madara and punched him in the face yet again. Madara pitched back and Naruto appeared behind him and kicked him in the back of the head, launching him forward.

While airborne Naruto grabbed Madara by the arm and swung him around and slammed him into the ground. He then pulled him up and threw his body into the nearby trees and bushes until the momentum carried him off the edge of the cliff. Far below was the lake and the Valley of the End. Naruto appeared above Madara and kicked him in the sternum and Madara was launched down, slamming into the water far below.

Naruto quickly dove into the water and located Madara and began punching and kicking him until he needed to get air. A few moments later Naruto climbed up and stood atop the water and waited.

A few moments later Madara climbed up and stood on the water. His mask was cracked in several places including part of the jaw and the left eye. "Such viciousness Naruto," Madara said. "Have I finally struck a nerve?"

"My mother, my father, Itachi, Sasuke and so many others," Naruto said. "You're going to pay! You're going to pay for all of the suffering you've caused!"

Finally the last of Madara's mask fell away and Naruto gasped at the sight. Much of the skin on Madara's face was rotted and peeling away. His lips were rotted and half gone revealing brown, decaying teeth. It was as if Naruto was staring at a living corpse. "What," Naruto whispered as he fought the wave of nausea that hit him.

"Do not look so surprised Namikaze Naruto," Madara said. "One does not live as long as I without consequences. It is not the body that makes me immortal. It is my spirit. My soul combined with the power of my eyes and my will to achieve that has kept me alive."

"You," Naruto said. "You didn't survive the battle with Senju Hashirama did you? You died, didn't you? You…..you're just a corpse without a grave."

"**Yes," The Nine Tails said. "His hate….it was so powerful…..so all consuming….that it refused to allow his spirit to leave this world. It forced his spirit to remain in a body that was dead. That is why his power was never restored and he needed to build Akatsuki. A dead body can't harness chakra properly."**

"You and all of you pathetic ninja of Konoha believe that the Will of Fire can conquer all," Madara said.

"Yet it is my hate that allows me to still stand above you," Madara replied. "It is my hate that gives me the power to achieve my goal."

"You're goals will end here Madara," Naruto said. "You will end here. For the sake of all the innocents of this world. I will finally put you to rest."

"And how do you plan to do that on your own," Madara asked.

Naruto grinned. "I'm Namikaze Naruto, The Red Tornado of Konoha" he said as the water began to move and pitch about wildly. Madara looked about and quickly drew his War Fan from his back. Using his Sharingan Madra could see countless pinpoints of chakra under the water that was fast approaching the surface.

With a smile on his face Naruto said, "I am never alone Madara." Suddenly hundreds of clones burst forth from the water and immediately attacked Madara. Madara quickly began to swing his fan about taking out one clone after another. _Impossible_, Madara thought. _When did he even create these clones! _Several clones moved in with punches and kicks and Madara immediately turned intangible allowing the attacks to pass through him. He then quickly turned solid and sliced through the clones.

He then threw the fan while holding on to the attached chain. Madara's fan sliced through all of the clones ahead of him and then Madara pulled on the chain and began swinging it, slicing through clones as he leapt about dodging attacks.

As he landed on the surface of the water, Madara felt someone grab both his legs. He looked down to see two clones holding on to him. Another clone said, "I've heard from Konan that you can only maintain being intangible for about five minutes! Let's put that to the test!"

Immediately more and more clones leapt out of the water and Madara noticed they each had an explosive tag strapped to their chest. Madara turned intangible just as hundreds of clones closed in and began exploding, one after another.

Madara then heard Naruto scream and Naruto leapt from behind a wall of clones with a large Rasengan in his hand. "Rasengan," Naruto yelled as he closed in. Naruto passed right though him and the Rasengan exploded as it hit the water. Madara leapt back out of the range of the explosion and landed a few feet away and once again he was under attack by dozens upon dozens of clones.

The real Naruto stepped from the smoke of the Rasengan and watched as his clones tried in vain to defeat him and would explode while near him. "Tch," Naruto said as he continued to analyze the situation.

Madara knocked away several more clones with his fan when he heard Naruto scream again as he leapt towards him with another Rasengan. This time Madara side stepped Naruto and swung down with his fan slicing him in half. But to his surprise Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke. A Shadow Clone, Madara thought when he heard a bell like screech approaching from behind him.

Madara was forced to remain this way for a long period as more and more clones chased after him and exploded. Soon a clone ran at Madara and he punched the clone away and leapt to dodge the explosion.

Naruto smiled when he saw this. _He didn't turn intangible that last time_, Naruto thought. _Which means…..!_

Turning Madara saw two large Fuma Shuriken made of light zigzagging towards him. "RasenShuriken," Naruto yelled as his attack closed in on Madara.

"Shit," Madara said as he realized he could no longer make himself intangible. Naruto's attack struck head on and the resulting blast destroyed the remainder of his clones as the explosion consumed a large area.

Naruto was breathing heavily as he looked on as the last remnants of the massive explosion died away and the smoke began to settle. His eyes opened wide in disbelief when he saw a large glowing creature surrounding Madara. "S-Susanoo," Naruto said as he stared at the glowing yellow eyes.

Unlike Sasuke's Susanoo, Madara's Susanoo was black and was fully formed with armor. Its face was covered by a hood and mask and only its menacing eyes could be seen. Instead of an arrow launcher or shield this Susanoo and a large spear with a large, ornate arrow head. _"Kyubi," Naruto said. "Are you rested enough? Because I'm going to need your power!"_

"**I'm rested up enough but I can't loan you my power," The Kyubi responded.**

Naruto quickly formed another Rasenshuriken and threw it at Madara. He was stunned when he saw Madara's Susanoo use its spear to knock the Rasenshuriken right back at Naruto. "Shit," Naruto yelled as he leapt out of the way of the blast. Naruto quickly tumbled over the water and came to stop and stood up, waiting for the explosion to die down.

Suddenly the large spear cut through the smoke, hurtling at Naruto with surprising speed. Naruto leapt in an effort to dodge the attack but the massive arrow head sliced him in the side of his stomach as it whizzed by.

Naruto stumbled and fell to the ground clutching the large wound that instantly began to pour blood. _Incredible_, Naruto thought has he coughed up blood. _The speed of that attack was faster than Sasuke's Susanoo. Even with Sage chakra I could barely avoid it._

Madara walked though the smoke and stared at Naruto who was struggling to stand. _What will you do now Naruto_, he thought as he keenly observed him.

"_Kybui," Naruto said. "I need to use your power now!"_

"**No way boy," the Kyubi replied. "You don't understand, Madara is….!"**

"_What's there to understand," Naruto yelled. "I can't defeat this guy without it! And if you won't give me your power willingly I'll have to settle with taking it by force!"_

"**You stupid human," the Kyubi yelled. "Listen to me! Madara is…..!"**

But it was too late. Naruto approached the cage the Nine Tails was held in, Naruto forcefully broke it open and began to absorb its power. Madara, with the power of his Sharingan, saw this. _Now_, he thought as he suddenly appeared behind Naruto in his mind.

"What," Naruto said surprised as he saw Madara appear.

Madara quickly made several hand seals and said, "Sealing Jutsu: Demon Fang Seal!" Four large, bone white spikes, about three stories high and as thick as a large oak tree appeared above the Kyubi and fell, piercing through its front and hind legs and pinning it to the floor.

**The Kyubi roared in pain and anger and then said, "You stupid brat! I was trying to warn you that Madara wanted you to use my power!"**

"Correct," Madara said. "Thanks to your father I am unable to control the Kyubi directly. But I still can indirectly, by using the connection you, yourself use Naruto. But I had to wait until the Kyubi, and your power, was low. Sasuke was able to take care of that for me as well. Now both you and the Kyubi, lack the chakra to defy my will."

_******Meanwhile – In the real world******_

Naruto found himself on all fours straining in vain to get to his feet. _What…..is….going on_, he thought as he fought and fought to stand. But he couldn't even move. Both his arms and legs were pinned, much in the same way the Kyubi was now pinned.

"Don't bother trying to stand Naruto-kun," Madara said. "You and the Kyubi are linked remember? Your pain and predicaments are his and his are yours. Just as he is sealed, so too are you."

_C'mon_, Naruto thought. _Move! Move! _"Move damn it," Naruto yelled as he could feel the Nine Tails Cloak begin to cover him. Two Tails, Three Tails, Four...more and more he began to transform to resemble a mini Kyubi but still he couldn't move. Naruto roared like a beast as he fought and the water all around began to rage wildly under the influence of his chakra. But still he couldn't move.

"_**Damn you Madara," Naruto yelled in a beastly voice. It was if both his voice and the Kyubi's had become one. "I swear to you I will get free and I will kill you!"**_

"Heh," Madara laughed. "Is that so?"

"_**You may have caught me," Naruto yelled. "But you'll still have to transport us! And how do you plan to seal the Kyubi? You need the help of other Akatsuki! And most of them are dead!"**_

Madara remained silent for a moment and then said, "You are right. Transporting you like this is impossible for me alone. And I don't have days to seal you." Madara looked up to see that the eclipse was minutes away. "I have little time in fact. But luckily I've planned for this."

Madara made several hand seals and yelled, "Summoning Jutsu: Gedo Mazo!" Naruto looked on in shock as the foreboding, demonic statue slowly rose out of the water behind Madara. Naruto began to thrash about wildly as he desperately fought to move, but still he couldn't.

"_**Even with Gedo Mazo you lack the people to successfully perform the sealing," Naruto yelled. **_

Again Madara laughed. "True," he said. "As I am now I lack the ability. Usually it requires a total of ten powerful and skilled ninja to use Gedo Mazo properly. And even then it takes three days. One person isn't powerful enough."

For a moment Madara remained silent. As if he wanted to give Naruto a sense of false hope. "Unless," he finally said. "That one person has a massive amount of chakra. Someone like….oooooh, Uchiha Madara. And that person had a powerful body capable of withstanding the physical drain. Such as the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama."

"_**Hah," Naruto laughed. "I've seen your chakra. It is not large enough. And The First has been dead for decades."**_

"Oh really," Madara said with the sound of great satisfaction. "Zetsu."

Slowly Zetsu began to rise out of the water next to Madara. "Yes Lord Madara," he said.

"It's time to fulfill your final role," Madara said.

"Of course my Lord," White Zetsu said.

"As you command," Black Zetsu said.

"Zetsu," Madara said. "He was my creation using the DNA of the First Hokage."

"_**The First Hokage's DNA," Naruto asked. **_

"Yes," Madara said as he faced Zetsu and removed his glove, revealing a frail, decomposing hand. The two Venus flytrap protrusions one either side of Zetsu split even further and Madara placed his hand on Zetsu's bare chest and to Naruto's amazement Zetsu's flesh began to bond with Madara's bare hand as Madara began to slowly absorb him.

"Decades ago I got hold of his DNA and replicated it and using Gedo Mazo I created this White Zetsu. But like you said, to use Gedo Mazo one must have a massive chakra supply. Thanks to Hashirama and even your father the majority of my chakra was cut off from me. But though I could not use it directly I could physically store it elsewhere. That place, was Zetsu. That is how Black Zetsu was made."

Naruto winced at the sound of Zetsu's bones cracking and liquefying as it was reabsorbed into Madara. "Of course removing my chakra sped up my bodies deterioration," Madara said. "But it was worth the price of having this living battery of power to use just in case."

_I don't get it_, Naruto thought. _If he could do this the whole time why have Akatsuki perform all of those sealing's instead of doing it himself?_

"**Such a technique most likely drains his chakra to the point he can only do it once," The Kyubi said. "He probably wouldn't survive doing this technique again. He had to gamble that the ninja he gathered to form Akatsuki would be strong enough to gather the beasts themselves or at the very least gather enough where there was only one left."**

"Correct," Madara replied as he absorbed the last of Zetsu. Naruto was shocked to see that some of the decomposition of Madara's body had reversed significantly. Much of the skin on his face had repaired itself, though parts of his face remained decomposed.

"_**But…..how….do you plan….to seal away the Kyubi in time for the Eclipse," Naruto asked.**_

Madara laughed. "The power I have now is enough to make what would take days now be complete in minutes!"

Suddenly a dozen black chakra disruption blades shot from the statue and pierced Madara in the back. Blood spurt from the wounds as Madara coughed up blood, all the while he maintained a devious smile. Suddenly Madara began to glow with black energy and the energy swiftly climbed up the rods and into the statue and it too began to glow. **"Boy," the Kyubi yelled frantically. "You need to do something! He's about to take us!"**

Naruto began to think over every option he had as he desperately tried to think of something to free him. Madara slowly began to become even more emaciated and his body began to decompose. "Too late," he said with a smile as he made a hand seal and said, "Sealing Technique: Illusionary Dragon, Nine Consuming Seals!"

One by one a green glow appeared on each of the finger tips of the statue and then its mouth opened and nine dragon shaped effigies poured out and engulfed Naruto.

Naruto suddenly felt as if he were struck by a mountain as all strength seemed to leave his body. Slowly his body began to float as energy poured from his eyes and mouth.

_******Meanwhile******_

Sasuke sat back and stared up into the slowly darkening sky. The moon was now about half way in front of the sun. Sasuke sighed and glanced down at the soldier pill he had thrown down. He then closed his eyes and took a deep measured breath.

His brother's voice constantly echoed in his mind. _"….If you can seek revenge for the sake of one brother, why can't you seek peace for the sake of another?"_

"_I knew you had the strength to go beyond all those who had come before. You could break the cycle of hatred in the Uchiha."_

"_When I was very young someone once told me that a good man learns from the mistakes of his past. But a great man never allows his past to rule his future. I have faith in you little brother. We both do."_

Sasuke considered his brothers words when a sudden memory came to him. It was like a dam bursting forth and all that water which he had sealed away and forgotten, came flooding back to him like a crushing wave.

_******Konoha Cemetery – Twelve Years Ago******_

Sasuke stood over the grave markers of his mother and father and cried. He cried and cried. He had no idea how long he was there, all he knew was that at sometime this morning there was a funeral. Now the full moon was high in the sky shining down on him mockingly. His body was shaking from fatigue, grief and hunger. But he didn't care. He had more tears that had to be shed. His feet would remain rooted to the ground like a tree until he was satisfied.

A cold wind blew by that chilled him to the bone. It was as if the elements were testing his resolve to remain here. Everything was now a test. That was what his life was to be now. He decided that. That he would use everything to test his growth and strength. He would use it to push him. To motivate him. And then one day…one day…that bastard…he would pay.

Finally the tears were stopping when he felt someone's hand on his shoulder. Looking up, through his blurred vision he saw it was he Third Hokage. Hiruzen stood looking sadly over the dozens and dozens of fresh graves. He took a deep drag from his pipe and then forced as bright a smile he could to Sasuke.

"I know this is hard," he said. "But in time there will come a moment of true clarity for you my boy. I want you to know that you are not alone. I am here for you. Everyone in Konoha is here for you. Death is not an easy thing to accept. The pain of loss is not something that can ever be forgotten. But it is a truth of life that what we lose inevitably makes us stronger. Because we seek the strength to keep what we still have. To prevent that loss from happening again for as long as possible."

Sasuke rubbed his eyes and looked at the graves. Gone. They were all gone. How could any good come from something like this? "I will find strength," Sasuke said. "But not to keep what I have. Because now I know I have nothing. No, Lord Hokage. I'll find strength to avenge what I've lost. From this day on I will dedicate all that I am to be an avenger! And I will make him pay!"

The Hokage stared at Sasuke for a long while and gently squeezed his shoulder. "I see," he said. "You know Sasuke, several years ago a young man once told me that a good man learns from the mistakes of the past. But a great man never allows the past to rule his future. Perhaps that is some wisdom you should consider."

The Hokage turned to leave when Sasuke called out to him. "That person who said that," Sasuke asked. "He couldn't possibly know what this pain is like."

The Hokage took another drag of his pipe and nodded his head. "You're probably right. Few can say they have experienced a loss such as yours. But he could. He knew that loss well."

"Who was he," Sasuke asked.

The Hokage looked back and said, "His name was Namikaze Minato. The last of the Namikaze clan."

_******Land of Fire - Now******_

Sasuke's eyes opened quickly as he remembered those last words. "Namikaze Minato huh," Sasuke whispered. "That's Naruto's….."

Sasuke took a deep breath and looked at the soldier pill. His face grew stern and he reached down and picked it up. He stood up and dusted the pill off and then quickly threw it into his mouth and chewed. Sasuke's facial color suddenly turned green as he nearly threw up. "Ack," he yelled as his face twisted in pain and disgust.

_What the hell is that_, Sasuke thought. _Who the hell made that mud ball! _Suddenly Sasuke felt a surge of energy as he felt his chakra begin to restore itself and many of his wounds began to heal. Sasuke looked at his body and smiled.

Sasuke then immediately leapt up to the nearest tree branch and began making his way towards Madara and Naruto.

_******Meanwhile – In a Place Where Time Holds No Meaning******_

"Kyubi," Naruto screamed as he saw the large Statue called Gedo Mazo looming over him and the Nine Tails. "Kyubi you have to fight!"

The large beast called Gedo Mazo opened its mouth and began to absorb the Nine Tails, slowly consuming him. As this happened the entire area began to turn white. The water, the cage where the Kyubi had been kept, was all fading away to nothingness, while Naruto himself found he was getting weaker and weaker.

"Kyubi," Naruto screamed. "Fight back!"

"**Shut up boy," The Kyubi screamed. **Naruto cold see the hate and anger in its eyes. But there was something else. In the Kyubi's eyes he could see fear. **"It's over…Naruto. You should have listened to me. Had you hardened your heart perhaps we could have avoided this fate."**

"If I hardened my heart I would not live as I am," Naruto said as he desperately pulled at the Kyubi.

"**And now you get to die as you are," The Kyubi said mockingly. **Naruto suddenly lost his grip as the Gedo Mazo pulled the Kyubi into itself and everything around him turned white.

"_Naruto!"_

_Who is that_, Naruto wondered. _Who's voice is that calling me? It sounds like a man. Who is it?_

"_Naruto!"_

_It….now a woman is calling me, _Naruto wondered. _The voice….it sounds…..familiar…..but I…..I can't remember. Who is it?_

"_Naruto!" "Naruto!" "Naruto!"_

_So many people calling my name_, Naruto thought. _So many faces. Why can't I remember who they are!_

"_NARUTO!"_

_Who_, he wondered. _Who is that? Na….ru…..to? Who is that? Is that me? Is that my name? I….I can't remember! Who is that! Who am I?_

"_Naruto!"_

_Who….is that person_, the man thought as he faded from existence.

Suddenly a large Fox-like beast appeared as if from no where. Its eyes were full of malice and its breath stank as if from hell itself. The Beast was inches from him when it opened its massive jaws showing rows of sharpened teeth. The beast roared, easily deafening him. **"If I must go," the beast yelled. "Then you shall share in my fate!"**

"What are you," the man yelled as the beast moved in and swallowed him whole.

_******Meanwhile – Land of Fire ******_

Dozens upon dozens of ninja ran through the woods and leapt through the trees as they frantically made their way to the location Sakura's slug, Kotetsu had given them. "Keep moving," Temari yelled as she and her brother followed behind Gaara who was at the head of the massive unit. He was moving so fast few could keep up. Suddenly they saw the moon fully cover the sun and the entire land darkened. Everyone could feel the ominous foreboding clutch at them as the world descended into darkness.

_Naruto_, Gaara thought as he suddenly took off, sprinting even faster, leaving everyone behind.

_******Meanwhile – Valley of the End******_

Sasuke leapt through the trees as fast as he could. He looked up at the dark sky and gritted his teeth. After a few minutes the he reached the clearing and looked down to see the valley below. In the center of the lake was Gedo Mazo and an emaciated Madara standing before it. He could see Naruto floating in the air surrounded by the energy of the Nine Sealing Dragons.

Sasuke's eyes grew wide and he dug his fingers into the bark of the tree. _Damn it_, he thought. He was just about to leap towards them when the energy from Gedo Mazo stopped and the ninth and final eye opened.

"No," Sasuke whispered as Naruto's lifeless body fell, crashing into the water, his eyes open and vacant.

Sasuke clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as he saw Naruto's body slowly begin to sink into the murky depths of the lake. "Naruto," he yelled frantically.

_******Meanwhile******_

"Naruto," he stirred as he heard the sweet female voice in the distance. "Naruto? Naruto?"

The boy sat up suddenly, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. He looked around his room and calmed himself. _A nightmare_, he thought. _It was only just a nightmare._

The boy rested and stared up at the roof. "Wow," he whispered. "What was that all about?"

Just then he heard a knock on his door. "Come in," he said.

The door opened and middle aged woman poked her head inside. She had long, thick red hair, fair skin and violet eyes. She had a bright smile that could brighten any room. "Naruto honey," she said. "It's time for breakfast."

Naruto smiled and said, "Great, I'll be right down mom."

End of Chapter Thirty Six

Next Time: The Nightmare Begins! Jyubi Reborn!


	37. The Nightmare Begins! Jyubi Reborn!

_INTRODUCTION_

Welcome back to the End of Innocence. As always I like to start by stating that I do not own Naruto. Kishi = creative genious. Lol!

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_THANK YOU_

A special thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: NarutoBigFreak; maxslayer10; airnaruto45; Kushina's Hell (you changed your name =P); newserkzzz; Shauni2420, xXbeautifullyshatteredXx; Codegeasslulu; XeroTail29; Diamond Man; InARealPickle; perfect beauty; Konoha's Crimson Fox; hideki4111; theshrewedshrew; Christina322; Ben Vilhaven; narutokurosaki & MyHikari.

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_RESPONCES_

**NarutoBigFreak** - Aww, don't cry. But can I confess something...I kinda cried a bit writing this. So I knew I kind of had something...either that or shouldn't write next to a pile of chopped onions. =P As for what Happened to Naruto at the end...read this chapter...all is explained.

**maxslayer10** - Thanks and yes, Naruto's death will indeed sadden many people.

**airnaruto45** - Ummm, hate to break this to you dude...but he ain't in a Genjutsu. Naruto...he's...ummm.

**Kushina's Hell (You changed your name!)** - You know me, I like to get freaky. Lol! Wait...I mean...I like to keep it freaky...wait...umm...Damn!...I mean...that i'm a freak...wait...no that's not it...what I meant to say is that i like it for you to feel freaky...WAIT NO NO NO!...I meant...Oh well. Glad you liked the chapter.

**newserkzz** - Naruto knows, that Minato is his father. He's known it for years. As a result he knew Kushina was his mom. It was not something directly covered in one of my previous chapters however. This is just implied knowledge. All will be revealed about that moment in this chapter.

**Shauni2420** - Anyone got any tissue? I'm all out. I really should have went to the store. Lol!

**xXbeautifullyshatteredXx** - The end of chapter was designed to confuse and intrigue the reader. Check and check it seems. I knew it would throw you guys. But don't worry. Many answers are revealed here.

**Codegeasslulu** - Lol! Thanks.

**ZeroTail29** - Thanks.

**Diamond Man** - To saw that the whole planet is screwed is to put it mildly. But don't be quick to assume things will turn out fine for our heroes. Remember, my story is darker than the canon for a reason. Lol! And that reason is because I'm sadistic. Lol! JK.

**InARealPickle** - Don't be so sure of that. Have you tasted Uchiha ass? it's tastes like candy bro. Lol! But seriously I'm glad you're at least being tolerant of the Uchiha for the benefit of my story. Thank you. I hope I can redeem things in your eyes by the end.

**perfect beauty** - Is there really a good type of confusion? Hmm. Lol! Glad you like.

**Konoha's Crimson Fox** - Yup. Gone but not forgotten.

**hideki411** - Thanks.

**theshrewedshrew** - Though I can appreiciate your review of the turn my characters have made, and though I can't disagree with you because your assessment is true I will pose this to you. It's a line from one of my all time fav movies: _It is always darkest just before dawn. And now the dawn is coming._ Think about it.

Though I'm not sure how you can say that with all the death and pain I've shown you can say my last few chapters are cheery. But fine. I can say that moods don't really affect a chapters tone. I have a vision for the story on a whole and vision for the tone of each chapter and what I'm trying to show. There are times I want things to be dark and then I like to break that tome with a bit of humor and light heartedness.

**Christina322** - Hater is probably too strong a word. I don't hate him. He is only a fictional character after all. But I'm just one of those who believe he shouldn't simply be forgiven and allowed to return to Konoha without severe punishment if at all. I'd explain further but I don't think is the forum. You can find me at if you want to speak further. I alway have time for a pretty lady. ;)

Sorry that I ruined your fantasy but if you read this chapter I'm sure you'll find that Naruto losing the Kyubi will be worth it once you consider what he gains. And I will check out that manga if you wish. I also never turn down a ladies request. ;)

**Ben Vilhaven** - Of course I killed him. After reading my story are you surprised that I would? I'll kill any character if it improves the quality of the story. And I can tell you that Naruto didn't plan on dying. He's as gobsmacked as you are trust me. Lol!

And yes, this is a NARUSAKU fic. NS FTW! Just read this chapter. All will be explained. As for Minato, it is my belief that because he left a part of his sould within Naruto, that part of himself exists in the afterlife now. And Madara wasn't just letting Naruto hit him. Naruto is motherfreaking strong. Madara couldn't stop him.

**narutokurosaki** - Lol! Didn't I explain this earlier? In my story, Naruto can't use Hiraishin to the the extent that he can use it without the kunai. And the number of kunai he has is also limited. Minato could pul the seal on people or objects during battle. Naruto hasn't mastered it to that point yet. So you are right, that would be a ultimate combo jutsu. But my Naruto can't use it yet.

**MyHikari** - Virgin Islands huh! COOL! i bet you got an awesome tan right! Lol! And It upsets me that I caused the dirtying of an innocent cookie! OH WHEN WILL THE COOKIE VIOLENCE END! Glad you liked the chapter.

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_MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR_

And then there were two. Wow, I can't believe that I'm nearing the end. Over two years of blood, sweat and tears, especially sweat, went into this story. It's kind of surreal actually. I hope you guys love this chapter. I burned my hand cooking and I wasn't sure if I was going to get this one out in time as typing was painfull. But here we are. And for the sake of my burned hand **please** make sure you **review** this chapter as best you can. If you don't review then me and my crispy hand will never forgive you. Now if you don't mind I'm going to get something to eat. I keep smelling fried chicken! =P

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XXXVII: The Nightmare Begins! Jyubi Reborn!

_******Land of Fire – Valley of the End******_

Sasuke looked on in disbelief as Naruto's lifeless corpse floated on the raging water. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fist so hard his nails dug into his flesh and blood streamed from his hand. On the surface of the water far below an emaciated and weakened Madara was on all fours breathing heavily and drenched in sweat.

Most of his hair had fallen out and the few strands that remained had turned silver. His skin was rotted and his eyes had turned yellow as death. Now more than ever Madara resembled a living corpse. Slowly Madara pulled forward and snapped the disruption blades from his back. Gedo Mazo then opened it mouth wide the nine dragons slowly wormed thier way out of its mouth and wrapped themselves around Madara and drew him into its mouth.

"What the hell," Sasuke said as he looked on. "What are you up to Madara?" Sasuke leapt down from the tree and down the cliff until he landed on the surface of the water and he quickly ran over to Naruto's body.

Naruto was pale and his eyes lay open and vacant. Sasuke kneeled next to Naruto's body and sighed as he closed Naruto's eyes. For a long time Sasuke remained silent until he began to hear cracking sounds coming from the statue. Sasuke looked up to see that the Gedo Mazo was moving. It was staring down at him with all nine eyes.

And then much to Sasuke's amazement he heard the statue speak with Madara's voice. "Ha, ha, ha! Sasuke! Don't tell me the Kyubi convinced you to give up your hatred too!"

"I was convinced of no such thing," Sasuke said as he slowly got to his feet. "My hatred is something I can never let go of. It is as much a part of my soul as anything else."

"Is that so," the Gedo Mazo said as it slowly began to stand. The statue towered over Sasuke casting a large shadow that covered the area.

"So is this what you wanted to become," Sasuke asked. "You wanted to become this….thing."

Again the statue laughed. "This is but the key," it said. "Now I shall open the doorway to perfection!"

The statue's eyes began to glow and nine individual beams of light fired into the sky and struck the moon. The moon turned pitch black and the sky began to turn blood red the moon began to shake violently.

Sasuke looked on in disbelief as the center of the moon began to crack and a large portion of the moon broke free and began a swift descent towards them. The wind began to howl as the water began raging even more wildly as the large mass of rock closed in.

_******Meanwhile******_

"What the hell is that," Shikamaru asked as he and the large group of ninja leapt through the trees. "Stop me if I'm wrong but is that a large rock the just broke from the damned moon!"

"It must be the Jyubi," Konan responded. "Madara must have summoned the Jyubi!"

"What," The Raikage yelled. "But if he's already summoned the Jyubi, wouldn't that mean that he has the Kyubi!"

Everyone looked at each other in grim silence and without anyone having to give the command everyone began to move even quicker.

_******Meanwhile******_

"Yes," the statue yelled joyously as it extended its arms to welcome the egg shaped mass of land. The statue opened its mouth and nine spiritual dragons flew out and wrapped itself around the large rock and began to pull it into the mouth of Gedo Mazo. "Yes," the statue yelled as it swallowed the large mass whole. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Sasuke stared in disbelief at what he'd just witnessed. Of course Madara had shared his plan with him. But Sasuke never actually believed the story. It was to him, the ranting of a man too old to grasp reality. He saw Madara as a man who had lost and was desperate to reclaim past glories. Madara…was a joke. To be tolerated until his usefulness had run its coarse. Never in Sasuke's wildest dreams did he believe he would be witness to something like this.

Then Sasuke heard cracking coming from the statue. Several cracks began appearing all over its body like a baby chick breaking free from its egg. Finally there was a massive explosion of light as the statue shattered and Sasuke was thrown back, his body siding across the water. Sasuke shaded his eyes from the light as it slowly died away. As the light faded Sasuke saw a figure standing where Gedo Mazo once stood.

The man wore the tattered robes of Akatsuki. His skin was bronzed and seemed to glow slightly and he was taller than any man he'd ever seen before. He made Jugo look like a child in comparison. In fact his body seemed completely perfect. No scratches or marks. Every muscle appeared perfectly toned and well defined. His body had a slight shine as though he himself was holding within himself a miniature sun.

The man's black hair was long down to the small of his back and shined with an unnatural glow. "Well," the man said. The voice coming from him seemed unnatural as well. It boomed slightly as though he speaking through a horn yet it had an almost hypnotic, musical quality to it. "What do you think Sasuke? What does it feel like to be in the presence of perfection?"

Sasuke cautiously walked closer to the man but stopped several arms lengths away. "Madara," he asked.

"Madara," the man said as he seemed to be searching his memory. "Yes….that was my name wasn't it?" Madara slowly opened his eyes and Sasuke took a step back as he saw them. Both of Madara's entire eyes were red with four ripple patterns like the Rinnegan and nine tomoe like the Sharingan.

"But from now on," Madara said. "Refer to me as God."

_******Meanwhile******_

Naruto walked down the stairs and stood in the foyer and took a deep breath. He then looked out the window and saw the acres of green grass and he could hear the tweeting of birds and he could hear the unmistakable sound of a flowing river somewhere in the distance. "Naruto," his mother called from the other room.

"Coming," he said as he walked into the dinning room where his mother was laying out the dishes. Sitting at the head of the table, as always, was Naruto's father who was waiting patiently for his wife to finish.

Naruto's father was fairly tall with fair skin, bright blue eyes and spiky blonde hair with jaw length bangs on both sides of his face. "Good morning son," he said with a bright smile. "Ready to eat?"

Naruto smiled and said, "I'm starved!" he then quickly pulled up his usual seat to the right of his father. Minato smiled at Naruto and then to his wife who was also had a bright smile on her face.

"So any plans today Naruto," Minato asked.

Naruto thought about it for a while and then said, "Nope. I can't recall if I had anything to do today. I guess I'll just go with the flow."

"Now that sounds like my kind of answer," said a person from behind Naruto.

Naruto turned and smiled, "Uncle Jiraiya," he said happily. "You're back from your travels?"

Jiraiya laughed a deep boisterous laugh as he walked in. "Yep," he said. "And do I have a bunch of stories to tell you!"

Jiraiya took a seat next to Naruto and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I have a whole new list of experiences I've got to tell you about!"

"Yeah, yeah," Naruto whispered. "But what about the girls? I bet the girls were hot right!"

Jiraiya smiled lecherously and whispered, "You have no idea! Let me tell you, there was this one girl that was so flexible that….!"

Suddenly both men heard Kushina clear her throat. When they looked up they say her staring at them with a look of fire and brimstone in her eyes. "Jiraiya-sensei," she said. "I've warned you about those perverted conversations with my son! How is he ever going to be an upstanding citizen if you turn him into a perverted letch like you!"

"Perverted letch," Jiraiya said as clutched his chest feigning injury. "Kushina, my darling you wound me! Is that really what you think of me! Minato, help me out here!"

Minato smiled and shook his head. "Sorry sensei," he said. "But someone once told me never argue with a beautiful woman who happens to have the strength of ten men!"

Jiraiya sighed and said, "Now you choose to listen to me huh?" Everyone laughed and began to eat.

_******Meanwhile******_

"God," Sasuke asked. "Hmpf! You think you're a God now? Like Pain?"

"Nagato," Madara said. "Nagato was a fool who was easily manipulated by his own petty loses. He was a petulant child rebelling against a world he deemed unfair."

"And you are not," Sasuke asked.

"No," Madara said. "My vision. My dream, goes far beyond changing the world. With this power I will reshape it into my image. This will be a world where the strongest rule. And under my rule, there will be no wars, no petty disputes. Only order. The order of the new God of this world. This will be a perfect world."

Madara turned his back to Sasuke and looked up at the shattered moon in the sky and raised his hand towards it. "You should be happy Sasuke," he said. "Under my rule the world will become just as you wanted. And you will be a prince of this world. Allowed to reshape the Uchiha as you see fit."

Sasuke suddenly felt a massive surge of force hit him and he nearly fell to his knees under the strain. Using his Sharingan he was able to see that it was chakra. Madara was releasing a chakra so dense he felt as if he were being crushed under the weight. Sasuke stood stunned as he saw Madara force the moon to stop moving, keeping it in its place in front of the sun. "Oh really," Sasuke said. His voice was cracking under the pressure. "How….do you….plan to do that?"

"Simple," Madara said. "I will initiate my Tsukuyomi on the moon and place all the people on the earth under my Genjutsu. I will then, over the course of time, strip them of their free will and mold them into the perfect people in my image. Then and only then, will I release the genjutsu allowing these people to live under my rule willingly and happily."

"I see," Sasuke said.

"Now," Madara said. "Let it begin." Before he could do anything however, Madara felt a sharp pain in his chest. Looking down he saw Sasuke's Chidori spear sticking out of his chest. It had pierced his heart. "Guh," he said as he spat up blood.

"Sorry Madara," Sasuke said as he glared at Madara. "But I have other plans."

_******Meanwhile******_

Naruto ate the last of his ramen and placed the bowl down. "Ahhh," he said happily as he rubbed his stomach. "That was delicious mom! You're cooking is the best!"

"I would say so," Minato said as he finished up. "This was my third helping and that was your fourth!"

"Yep, Kushina's specialty is ramen after all," Jiraiya said happily. "Which is surprising since you were one of he worst cooks I've ever met! You really came along!"

"Thank you Jiraiya-sensei," Kushina said sarcastically as she glared at him. "Naruto would you like some dessert?"

"No thanks," Naruto said with a smile. "I couldn't eat another bite." Naruto smile slowly faded as he began to remember some of the visions he dreamt of.

"Is there something wrong son," Minato asked.

"Well," Naruto asked as he took a deep breath. "It's probably nothing but I had the strangest dream last night."

"A dream," Kushina asked. "About what?"

"Well, it's hard to say," Naruto said. "It was just. I dreamt that I was fighting. Constantly fighting. I can remember…..there was pain and also sadness. But I could also remember that there were times when I was very happy. I could see smiling faces….but…..I….don't know who they are. I even recall…..some….animal. Like a large wolf or a fox. It gave me the creeps."

Jiraiya, Kushina and Minato glanced at each other in silence before Minato asked, "You don't remember any of it, do you?"

"Shhh," Kushina said to Minato with a disapproving look.

Naruto looked at the three people in the room and asked, "Remember what?"

"Nothing Naruto," Kushina said with a nervous smile. "Nothing at all."

"Kushina," Minato said. "we can't keep this from him. He needs to know."

"But….," Kushina said sadly.

"Minato's right Kushina," Jiraiya said sadly. "There's no point in keeping it from him."

"I need to know what," Naruto asked as he looked about the room at the sad faces that stared back at him. "Naruto, son, what do you remember before waking up this morning," Minato asked.

"I-I told you, I was…having a bad dream," Naruto asked.

"Yes," Minato said. "But before that what do you remember? Do you remember going to bed last night? Or what your mother made for dinner? Do you remember what you did yesterday?"

"I-I," Naruto said as he felt a sudden pain in his head. Naruto grabbed his head and suddenly pushed the chair back and got to his feet. His mind was on fire as he was suddenly assaulted by thousands of different images he couldn't make sense of. It was like he was seeing fragments of a life hat wasn't his own. He could see himself as a child, sad, alone. He could see people that looked at him with scorn and hate. And others who smiled at him.

He could see Jiraiya, but he heard a voice, his voice refer to him as Ero-senin. He could see a pink haired girl with a smile that made his heart skip. He could see another guy with spiky black hair that seemed to spend most of his time gazing at the clouds. He could see another guy, his eyes were strange looking. They were red and seemed full of sadness and hate. He could see himself fighting. He could feel the pain and desperation.

"What," Naruto yelled. "What's going on? I can't…! What's happening to me!"

Jiraiya threw his arm around Naruto's shoulder and said, "Sometimes it tough," he said. "Sometimes the traumatic way that it happens causes our mind to shut away the memories. Getting them back can be very painful!"

"Getting what back," Naruto said as he tried to fight through the pain.

"Your memories," Minato said. "Your memories of your past life."

"What are you talking about," Naruto asked.

"Naruto," Minato said sadly. His voice cracking as he said the words. "You…..You died. This is the afterlife."

Naruto's eyes widened as he heard the words. His entire body began to shake and shiver as though he were suddenly struck by a frozen breeze. A slight tear ran down his cheek. "N-No," he said. "I-It can't be. I'm not dead I…..I remember! I-I've lived here with you guys forever right? Mom?"

Kushina looked at her son with a look of sadness so great she seemed as though she'd crumble under the weight of it. With tears in her eyes she said, "I-I'm sorry Naruto…I…" Unable to speak she looked away and cried.

"Impossible," Naruto said. 'This is some sort of joke right! Stop playing games with me!"

Just as Naruto began to thrash about he heard a strangely familiar male voice, "Naruto, calm down!"

Naruto and the others turned to see someone walking towards them in the darkened hallway. As he entered the room Naruto could finally see him. The man was fairly tail with spiky white hair and a ling thin scar running down the center of his left eye down to his cheek. The man's face was buried in a book as he walked into the room. "Losing control will serve you no purpose now," he said as he lowered the book and looked at him.

Naruto looked at the man for a moment and then he said, "I-I remember." Suddenly all of Naruto's memories began to fall into place like a puzzle suddenly solving itself. He remembered everything, including his last moments.

"I remember it all now," Naruto said. "And I remember you as well, Kakashi-sensei."

_******Meanwhile – In the Real World******_

Madara spat up blood as he stood staring at the Chidori Spear protruding from his chest. "Right….though the heart," he mumbled.

"I warned you Madara that you too would pay for your role in the death of my people," Sasuke said as he slowly clenched his fist. He sent more power into his spear and multiple blades began growing from the one main spear like branches from a tree. Madara sat up more blood as more and more blades began growing from the spear and out from all over his body.

Blades shot out of his chest, back, stomach, legs and even several places on his head. Blood poured into the water as Madara's body began to convulse wildly and his eyes rolled up into the back of his head. "Feel the wrath of the Uchiha," Sasuke said as he poured even more power into his spear and every blade grew to massive size. He then released the jutsu and Madara's disfigured corpse fell into the water.

Sasuke took a deep sigh and turned to walk away when he heard Madara's voice behind him. "Excellent," Madara said as his body floated in the water. Sasuke turned with a look of shock on his face. To his surprise Madara was floating face up looking directly at him. "I wanted to test the power of the Jyubi and it's ability to heal. And this is more than I could ever hope for."

Sasuke took several steps back as Madara slowly climbed out of and stood on the surface of the water. His wounds were all closing up with incredible speed. Madara looked at his chest as the massive wound through his heart disappeared in moments. "But this is more than I could ever dreamed," he said. "Not only can I heal from such a fatal wound in seconds. I barely even felt the pain from your attack. This…..this is true immortality Sasuke!"

Sasuke glared at Madara as electricity began to surge all over his body. Sasuke attacked, creating and chidori and lunging at Madara. Madara quickly reached out and caught the chidori in his bare hand, stunning Sasuke. "Is this all you can do," Madara asked before he clenched his hand and destroyed the Chidori. "is it that you are too drained too do better than this? Or is it that the difference in our power is now so wide that all your efforts seem pathetic in comparison?"

Sasuke leapt back and stared at Madara. "Either way Sasuke, you'll have to do better than that if you wish to bring down a God," Madara said.

_******Meanwhile – In the Afterlife******_

"Kakashi-sensei," Naruto yelled as he ran up and hugged his former master.

Kakashi laughed and said, "It's great to see you too Naruto! You're a bit taller than I am now I see. That's surprising considering how short you were as a kid." Kakashi took a step back and looked Naruto over. "God its good to see you boy. Although I wish it were under better circumstances. I always hoped you wouldn't come here until you were old and had lived a full life."

Naruto let go and took a step back and looked at everyone. "So it's true," he said sadly. "I really am dead." Naruto sighed. "I…failed."

"You did no such thing," Kushina yelled. "You did more than anyone could ever dream! My son is no failure dattebane!"

"But," Naruto said as he looked at Jiraiya. "I failed to find the answer for breaking the cycle of hatred."

Naruto then looked to his father and said, "And I failed to fulfill the destiny you had hoped for me." Naruto looked down at the ground as if he couldn't bring himself to look them in the eyes. "I failed you all."

"You didn't fail Naruto," Jiraiya said. "You succeeded." Naruto looked up at Jiraiya with shock in his eyes.

Jiraiya smiled and said, "You found the answer boy! You just don't know it yet!"

_******Meanwhile – In the real World******_

Sasuke glared at Madara who smiled mockingly back at him. He then quickly made a hand seal and stood perfectly straight before suddenly sinking below the water. Madara looked down and tried to locate him when Sasuke suddenly leapt out of the water behind him.

"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Jutsu," Sasuke yelled as he spat out a large dragon shaped column of fire towards Madara. Madara turned and without creating a seal spat out a massive wall of water that extinguished the blast before it could strike.

Sasuke immediately appeared on the opposite side and attacked with his chidori spear. Madara surrounded his fist with concentrated wind and grabbed the spear and shattered it. Sasuke quickly leapt into the air behind Madara and said, "Amaterasu!" He released a blast of black flames at Madara. But Madara simply looked up and fired and even larger blast of black flames back. Madara's Amaterasu was massive and quickly consumed Sasuke's before striking Sasuke head on. Sasuke screamed in pain as his body tumbled down.

Consumed by black flames, Sasuke's body fell into the water before disappearing in a puff of smoke. Suddenly Sasuke leapt out of the water behind Madara with his sword drawn and swung it an Madara's head.

Without even turning to face him, Madara grabbed the sword by the blade, stopping Sasuke's attack immediately. "What," Sasuke said in shock as he witnessed Madara catch his electrified sword barehanded.

With a sinister smile on his face Madara looked back and said, "You didn't think I'd be fooled by a shadow clone did you Sasuke? Nothing escapes a God."

Sasuke smiled and said, "Escape this!" He quickly twisted the sword, causing it to snap half way up the blade and in one fluid motion he crouched and spun while charging his broken blade with as much electricity as he could and swung the blade at Madara's waist and sliced Madara in half.

Madara's upper body flew into the air and Sasuke quickly fired a blast of black flames that completely consumed it. Madara's legs and pelvis fell into the water while his upper half was quickly consumed completely.

Sasuke took a deep breath as his Sharingan disappeared. He stared at the legs of Madara that sat floating in a mixture of water and blood before turning around and walked away. After he took a few steps, Sasuke heard movement behind him and turned to see Madara's legs and lower half of his body begin to stand up on its own. 'What the fuck," Sasuke said as he stared in absolute shock.

The legs stood straight up and then, to Sasuke's horror, flesh and bone began to grow from the large open wound as Madara's upper body began to grow like a lizard re-grows its tail. Within a few minutes Madara's upper body, covered in a sticky substance, had completely re-grown. _This is like Orochimaru's technique_, Sasuke thought as he re-activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. _But it's on a completely different level. Instead he's actually recreating living cells. This guy…..it's as if this is the true immortality Orochimaru sought. _

Madara, now bare-chested and only wearing his torn pants and shoes, looked at his hands and body and laughed maniacally. "Yes," he yelled. "This is it! This is true perfection! This is the power of a God! Now all will be unified under this worlds true God!"

"But first," he said as he looked at Sasuke with an evil grin. "First I will teach you the respect you lack. You now will experience the true wrath of God."

Sasuke closed his eyes and dug deep within himself. He could feel the power of the Rinnegan coming to him, but it was not activating as quickly as before. _Damn_, Sasuke thought. _Itachi is slowly locking the Rinnegan from me. I don't think I'll have much time!_

Sasuke finally opened his eyes and they were now grey, with the ripple patterns of the Rinnegan and the tomoe of the Sharingan. "Ok Madara," Sasuke said. "This time I will destroy all of you until not one cell remains."

_******Meanwhile – In the Afterlife******_

"What are you talking about Pervy Sage," Naruto asked. "Nothing's changed! The world is as full of hatred as it ever was!"

"Naruto," Kakashi said. "You were so focused on saving the world that you failed to see the profound affect you've already had on it."

"How," Naruto asked.

"Look at all the people you've touched with your kindness," Jiraiya said. "You inspired them to grow. You inspired them to become stronger and to fight with all their might to protect what they love most. And those people took what you gave them, and they gave it to others and others still. And now, the world is seeing something no one ever thought possible: A unified world, fighting for one cause, for one purpose. Something like this, it could be the beginning of truly understanding one another. This is not something we could have see even in our time. And this is happening not though pain. But through the shared desire to protect and to love. That is what you gave them."

_******Meanwhile******_

"Shinra-Tensei," Sasuke said as he released an invisible mass of energy towards Madara.

Calmly, Madara raised his hand and said, "Shinra Tensei." Madara released a larger blast back towards Sasuke launching his body high into the sky and out of the Valley of the End. Sasuke crashed into the ground and his body tumbled to a stop.

After a minute or so Sasuke began to get up. "Damn it," he said as fought through the pain.

"Is that it," Madara asked. Sasuke looked up to see Madara floating above him. "Is that it Sasuke?"

Sasuke gritted his teeth as Madara floated down to the ground. "How disappointing," Madara said. "Hmm, I would have thought you'd provide me a greater challenge. No matter. I will still do you a great honor for your help to me. I will allow you, the last Uchiha, to be the first to witness God in his greatest form."

Suddenly Madara's eyes began to glow black as coal and his entire body was covered in a black chakra cloak. His skin began to tear and rip away revealing black fur underneath. Sasuke leapt back to create as much space between himself and Madara as he could and he quickly created Susanoo around him as a defense.

The cloak around Madara became so black and thick that Sasuke couldn't see the man and the chakra surrounded him taking the shape of an enormous black circle that began to pulsate and grow until it towered several stories in the sky. Within seconds the large black sphere began to crack and split like a chicken breaking free from its egg and then a massive black beast with one large eye emerged and roared so deafeningly loud that it could be heard for miles and amile around.

The beast was humanoid in shape with four fingers on each hand foot and long, razor sharp claws. It had several large horns on its head and its fur was a deep black. The beast stank of sulfur that made Sasuke gag and his eyes water. His lungs burned with every breath he took and the stench made him feel sick to his stomach. It was then he noticed all the nearby vegetation and animals began to choke, whither and die. Sasuke winced in pain as he felt the overwhelmingly foul chakra that emanated from the beast. He fell to one knee as the chakra felt as though it was this massive weight that would crush him.

The beast glared down with a look full of malice. Its one eye had four Rinnegan-like concentric circles, with nine Sharingan-like tomoe in the three circles closest to the pupil colored red. The beasts ten massive tails wagged behind it and every time one of the tails hit the ground the earth shook from the shock and made Sasuke lose his balance several times.

The beast leaned forward a little bit and bared its teeth. The beast had several rows of large razor sharp teeth on both the top and bottom and it had a large, black, leathery tongue. The beast then roared causing Sasuke to shield himself. "Oh shit," Sasuke whispered to himself.

_******Meanwhile – Elsewhere******_

Gaara moaned in pain as he remained doubled over on the floor. Opening his eyes he saw his brother and sister, Shikamaru, The Raikage, Hokage and the hundreds upon hundreds of Alliance Ninja all doubled over. Some were moaning while others were clearly unconscious. Some vomited while others mumbled and grasped their head as they seemed to be going mad. And others simply lay dead, succumbing to the pressure. A few moments ago they all saw a massive black orb rise into the sky before shattering and a large beast emerged.

Almost immediately they were all stricken by a foul and powerful chakra that caused them all to stop. Now Gaara and his comrades couldn't move. They couldn't speak. It took everything they had just to stay conscious under the pressure of this evil aura.

Even back in Konoha, the elders, Inoichi and everyone else in the village found themselves paralyzed by the foul chakra. "What is this," Ino moaned as she fought to stay awake. Neji crawled over to her and covered her as though protecting her from a fire. He then activated his Byakugan and, ignoring the pain of doing so, looked off into the distance. He could see the massive, foul chakra. It was ominously covering the entire horizon like the haze of the setting sun.

Back at the hospital Hinata and Sai were moaning in pain on their beds. Sai forced himself out of his bed and tried to slowly go to Hinata. "Sai….kun," she said, "Please don't…..s-stop." Sai just made it to her bed before he collapsed. Hinata tried to reach out but felt all energy leave her as she yelled, "S-Sai!"

_******Meanwhile******_

"Well," Madara said. "Are you not in awe of the power of your God….Ssssasuke!"

Sasuke's body shook as he fought through the crushing pressure of the fowl chakra until he was able to get to his feet. But even then his legs shook and partially buckled several times as he fought to stay up right.

As he fought through the pain, memories of his past began to flood his mind. He could remember his mother and father, his brothers smiling face, he could remember the Third Hokage and Kakashi. And then he remembered Sakura and Naruto. Both of them and Kakashi, they were with him, smiling and posing for a picture. And then Sasuke could remember Naruto's pale, lifeless face and his brothers' words suddenly came back to him: _"Sasuke, if you can seek revenge for the sake of one brother, why can't you seek peace for the sake of another?"_

"Hmmm," Madara said as he saw a massive swell of chakra envelope Sasuke's body as Sasuke stopped shaking and stood up, glaring back.

"Madara," Sasuke said. "You're fate….the only future you have now…..is to die today at my hands!" Suddenly Sasuke screamed as he created Susanoo and the massive creature became even bigger than before, growing to nearly equal the height of the Jyubi.

Madara looked at the massive Susanoo before him and then raised one hand. One of its massive nails began to grow out until it looked like a claw and then Madara swung out towards Sasuke.

_Too fast_, Sasuke thought as Madara swung and much too Sasuke's surprise the Jyubi's claw easily cut into Susanoo, and sliced Sasuke in the side, nearly cutting him in half.

Sasuke's body was thrown back and tumbled to the ground and Susanoo disappeared. Barely conscious, Sasuke looked up to see the beast towering over him. Sasuke found he was in a pool of his own blood and knew he was badly cut through his side and, worse yet, Sasuke's left arm had been completely severed from the elbow and he was losing blood. "Damn," Sasuke said before losing consciousness.

Madara laughed spitefully at Sasuke. "Sasuke," Madara said. "This is what awaits all who disobey God!" Madara then looked up at the moon which had, by his will, not moved from its place in front of the sun. "And now, the time has come for all to become one and for one to become all!" The eye of the Jyubi suddenly changed again to look like Madara's Mangekyo Sharingan and then the Sharingan was imprinted on the moon itself.

_******Meanwhile******_

Using her ability to heal Tsunade was finally able to slowly fight off the affects of the Jyubi's foul chakra and struggle to her feet. _This feeling_, she thought. _This chakra feels like its attacking my very heart and soul. But I have to find a way to help everyone fight it. _Tsunade looked around at the fallen army around her as thousands writhed in pain. Gaara was the closest to her and step by step she walked over to him.

Just before she could reach him Tsunade saw a massive image of the Mangekyo Sharingan on the moon and instantly she froze. The world she knew melted away and all around her there was silence.

Suddenly Tsunade found herself in a black world with a crimson sky. She was strapped to a cross and standing in front of her was Madara Uchiha, holding a sword. "I am Uchiha Madara. I am your God," Madara said. "You will love me unquestioningly. You will praise me. You will follow my every command. My word is law."

"Go to hell," Tsunade yelled. Madara raised his blade and stabbed her in stomach causing her to scream in pain pitifully. _Genjutsu_, she desperately tried to tell herself as she fought through the pain. _This is just an Illusion. This is not real. I can break it if I just remember that…._

Madara stabbed her in the stomach and again and Tsunade yelled in pain. "I am Uchiha Madara. I am your God," Madara said. "You will love me unquestioningly. You will praise me. You will follow my every command. My word is law."

Tears welled in Tsunade's eyes and she began to sweat profusely as she tried to fight the pain It was at that moment she looked up and she realized she wasn't in this world alone. To her left and her right, in front and behind her, there were hundreds, thousands and yes perhaps millions of people each strapped to a cross with a vision of Madara standing before them with a sword in hand. She looked to her left and right and people stretched out in both directions beyond the distance of her vision. Behind her and in front was the same as well. People were placed in an infinite amount of rows that each stretched for an infinity. It was then she knew. The world, the whole world was here. Men, women, children, even infants, were strapped and being tortured in this same way.

Again she felt the warm steel of Madara's sword embed itself deep into her stomach. "Know this," Madara said. "This world, much as your own, is mine. You will not leave this place until your allegiance is without question. For I am now and forever your God. You will love me unquestioningly. You will praise me. You will follow my every command. My word is law."

_******Meanwhile******_

All over the world there was silence. From Konohagakure out to the farthest reaches of the world every man woman child lay caught in the sleeping death of Tsukuyomi. The bodies of men, women and children lay scattered about, falling unconscious immediately all over the world. For the first time since the very dawn of man, the Earth was silent.

It was in this deafening silence where one person began to stir. Sakura moaned as she finally began to regain consciousness. The moment she did she could feel the world around her changing and the sky turning blood red. Immediately she knew this to be Tsukuyomi. Sakura instinctively made a hand seal. "Release", she said. She could feel the jutsu receding away only to regroup and attempt to place her under the spell again. "Release", she commanded forcing the jutsu back. But again the jutsu attempted to take over. It was like an insect swarm crawling into her mind. Unwilling to be forced back.

Gathering all of her available strength and using all the will power she could muster Sakura made the seal and commanded, "Damn it! I said release!" Sakura's chakra flared momentarily and instantly the jutsu was defeated.

Sakura grimaced and held her head in pain. She may have defeated the jutsu but it had left her with the mother of all migraines. Her body ached from the wounds she had sustained and her neck was stiff. _Wait_, Sakura thought as her memories came to her. _What am I doing here? This isn't where Madara held me. _

Sakura then noticed that she was holding a kunai in her hand. She instantly recognized it. "Naruto," she whispered. A smile crept along her face as she began to surmise what had happened. Sakura held on to the tree and began to pull herself up. Her legs were still weak and unsteady. It was only after she got to her feet did she notice the massive creature standing about a mile away.

"W-What the hell….is that," she asked as she stared in shock. Suddenly she felt the fowl chakra begin to overwhelm her and with a silent command she felt her body steel itself against it.

_What is that that thing_, she wondered when she noticed the large creatures tails swinging back and forth. _Seven, Eight, Nine_, she counted as she felt her blood run cold. _Ten! Impossible! Could that…..?_

Suddenly realizing the implications of what she was seeing Sakura quickly closed her eyes and tried to focus on Naruto's chakra. Nothing. Again she tried using every bit of focus and will power she could to find something, anything but still she felt nothing. Naruto's chakra was gone. Sakura began to tremble as she could feel herself beginning to panic. "Naruto," she whispered. "Naruto," she said again even louder. And then her voice grew to a scream. "Naruto!"

Sakura began to lose all self control when she quickly tried to calm herself. _Ok, Ok, calm down,_ she thought_. First things first, I need to find him. Naruto isn't dead. He can't be dead. Naruto is too strong to be beaten. _Feeling strength come back to her legs_, _Sakura sprinted out into the clearing at the edge of the large lake and again tried to reach out to locate Naruto's chakra signature. Still nothing.

Sakura could feel herself beginning to hyperventilate as she looked around frantically for any sign of Naruto. He had to be close by. She looked up at the massive creature as it was completely focused on the moon and the Jutsu it was performing to notice her. _Ten Tails_, Sakura thought as she looked at it.

A moment later Sakura saw something floating in the middle of the lake. At first she thought it was debris but then she caught a hint of red. "Naruto," she yelled as she sprinted onto the surface of the water towards the object. As she got closer she knew it was Naruto and she quickly dropped to her knees and pulled Naruto's body out of he water.

"Naruto," she yelled as she immediately checked for a pulse. But he had none and he wasn't breathing. "No," Sakura said as she stared in disbelief. "No, no, no, no! Y-You can't be….!" Quickly she placed him down and frantically began to perform CPR.

"Come on Naruto," she said as she pumped as hard as she could and blew air into his lungs. Realizing it wasn't working she began to use her chakra to inspect his body. _His heart isn't beating_, she thought as she quickly inspected. _Brain isn't functioning, lungs have stopped, no oxygen to the brain, some water in the lungs. Damn it!_

Sakura stopped and simply stared at Naruto's face. He seemed so peaceful, as if all the burdens he had carried were now gone. She could feel her hand shaking as she reached out and stroked his cheek .His skin was cool to the touch, lifeless. She could still remember the warmth of his body as she held him earlier his morning. She could remember the smile on his face. She could remember his deep blue eyes that shone with such brilliance and optimism. He was her friend. He was her rock. He was the one person she could always count on. She depended on him. She needed him. She loved him. And now he was gone.

Tears began to fall down her cheek and onto Naruto's face as Sakura began to cry. And her silent cries became wails of anguish and she hugged onto Naruto like a vice and yelled his name over and over.

For a long time Sakura cried pitifully over the body of the man she loved until she finally sat up. And again began to stroke his hair. _Naruto_, she thought. _You taught me so much over the years. You helped make me a stronger person. A better person. You taught me what it really meant to never, ever give up._

Sakura stared at Naruto for moment_. Never give up_, she thought. Suddenly she could feel strength coming to her body and she could feel her mind focusing. _Never give up_, she thought. _You taught me to never give up. And, no matter what I won't give up. Not on you! Not yet! _

Suddenly Sakura began going through every medical theory she could think of. Lady Chiyo had performed a reanimation jutsu. And though Sakura didn't know the technique, she had been able summarize and take note of some of the principals of it just by watching it.

First off, she needed to make sure Naruto's body was capable of supporting life, which meant healing any fatal wounds and removing the water from his lungs. Sakura began using her chakra to heal his broken bones and any other wounds she could find. Then, turning his body over and using a chakra scalpel she made a small incision in his chest and lungs and drained the water out using her chakra as a guide.

She quickly healed the cut she made and turned Naruto back onto his back and focused and healing and repairing the damaged brain cells Naruto must have from the lack of oxygen.

Now came the problem of reanimating his corpse. The problem with this as she had read in the medical journals she'd found on the subject, is that reanimation of a corpse is only possible with that persons chakra. A body will only respond to that body's original chakra. Anyone elses chakra would be immediately rejected.

Then it dawned on her as she remembered her conversation with Killer Bee.

_******Land of Lightning – Several weeks ago******_

_Sakura sat with Naruto's unconscious body as everyone made final their preparations to transport Naruto's body back to Konoha. It had been two days since their confrontation with Sasuke and Naruto still hadn't woken up. _

_Someone knocked on the door. "Come in," she said as the door opened. It was Killer Bee. _

"_We should be ready to go soon girlie," he said. "Any change to his condition?"_

_Sakura shook her head as she looked at Naruto sadly. Both she and Killer Bee remained silent for a while before she decided to speak up. "Killer Bee," she said. "About that technique Naruto used on me. Can you tell me what you know about it?"_

"_Well," Killer Bee said. "As you know its primary purpose is to share a portion of the users chakra with a person, giving the target an increase to their chakra limit. But a secondary effect of the Jutsu is that he user and the person can now detect each others' chakra signatures, even over incredibly long distances they are permanently linked."_

"_The chakra the user gives acts as a permanent anchor between himself and the person the technique is used on," Killer Bee said. _

"_What if I performed the technique on him," Sakura asked. "could that heal him now?"_

_Killer Bee shook his head. "His injuries go far beyond a simple lack of chakra," he said. "If that was the case the Kyubi would have healed him already. Besides, even if I told you how to do it, it takes a massive chakra reserve to pull off the technique. Someone like you would be killed before the technique was complete."_

"_What if I could separate my chakra from Naruto's and just give his back," Sakura asked._

"_Impossible," Killer Bee said. "His chakra is bonded to yours now. If you try to send his back, your chakra will be pulled in with it. In order to do what you're suggesting would require the ability to cut away the bond beteen your chakra and his. That requires a level of chakra control on a whole new level. No one has that type of chakra control. It's unheard of."_

_******Land of Fire – Now******_

"Chakra control on a whole new level huh," Sakura whispered as she looked down at Naruto's corpse. "Well, let's see about that!" Sakura began to concentrate on her chakra like never before. She could feel her chakra, all of it, down to its most minute detail. And with one command, backedwith a will power and determination she never thought possible she forced her chakra to the surface.

Her entire body glowed purple as her chakra increased in intensity. _Alright_, Sakura thought. _Let's do it! _With another command she began to force her chakra to slowly separate from the chakra Naruto had given her. She was instantly stricken with a pain than enveloped her whole body. _Damn_, she thought as she winced. _Every cell in my body feels as though it's on fire. _

Blood trickled from her nose as she could feel her chakra slowly separating from Naruto's. The entire experience was excruciating as it felt as though she were ripping a piece of her own body away from herself. Eventually the pain was too great and Sakura stopped. Her breathing was heavy and ragged. She was drenched in sweat and her body hurt all over. She looked down to see Naruto's body and she gritted her teeth. He had always gone beyond his limitations for his friends, for her. She had promised herself that she would one day do something for him. Not just the little things. She had to do this.

Sakura again focused on her chakra and pulled it to the surface and began to isolate and separate Naruto's chakra from her own. She screamed in pain as she forced her chakra to pull itself free. Her body began to convulse as the pain grew and grew. But finally after what seemed like forever, the chakra separated.

Sakura nearly passed out but quickly used her chakra to heal herself as best she could. She could feel Naruto's chakra within herself now as if it were a separate entity. "This has to work," she said as she fought off her exhaustion. Sakura placed her hands on Naruto's chest and began to pump the body with his own chakra.

Sakura fought through the pain and the sudden exhaustion as she pumped more and more of Naruto's chakra into his body. She made sure a good portion flowed into his heart, brain and lungs. She could feel the chakra being reabsorbed into his body like a sponge. And then, to her amazement and glee, she felt it, the sudden and amazing feeling of a heart beat.

_*******Meanwhile – In the Afterlife******_

"Inspiration," Naruto whispered as he considered his masters' words. "But will that be enough," Naruto asked. "Madara has the Kyubi now. Who knows what's happening!"

"You could be amazed what someone can do when inspired Naruto," someone said. Naruto looked behind him and was shocked at the smiling faces behind him.

"B-Bushy Brow," Naruto said as he saw the bright smile of Lee. And standing next to him was Nagato and a person he recognized to be Yahiko. "Guys, it's you?"

"Of course," Nagato said. "Do you really think we'd miss an opportunity to speak to you again Naruto."

"So this is this Naruto you've been going on about Nagato," Yahiko asked as he regarded the man. "this is the guy you believe in now Nagato? The one who's supposed to break the cycle of hate? Heh. He doesn't seem all that impressive to me."

Suddenly Kushina appeared behind Yahiko with a furious expression on her face. She cracked Yahiko in the head and yelled, "You better shut up and not take my son lightly you idiot! Dattebane!"

Yahiko slumped to the ground, unconscious and drooling from the mouth as everyone continued to talk. "Naruto,' Nagato said. "You, I think found a way to move beyond pain. Your heart, your ability to believe in yourself, has infected so many others as it did me. That I think, is the answer. That it's not some quick fix, but an ability, by touching the lives of one person at a time, spreading a greater level of understanding throughout the world."

"Even my brother now has that light inside him once again," Itachi said as he entered the room.

"Uchiha…..Itachi," Naruto said dumbfounded.

Itachi smiled warmly at Naruto and said, "Your heart helped change my brother from the path he was on Naruto. That was something I couldn't have done alone Naruto."

"But what can I do now," Naruto asked as he looked around at his friends and family. "How can that help the world? How can that stop Madara?"

Suddenly Naruto saw that the walls of his home began to crumble as those around him smiled at him and paid it no attention. As the walls fell he suddenly saw he was in a large white space and he was surrounded by hundreds, thousands of people. People he knew, people he had known well or only briefly.

His mother, his father, Kakashi, Jiraiya, Rock Lee, Nagato, Yahiko (who had finally gotten up), The Third Hokage, Fukasaku, Asuma, Itachi, Kotetsu, Granny Chiyo, Zabuza, Killer Bee, Haku, Utakata and even people whom he'd recalled from the Konoha Army like the young genin, Katsu, who was smiling at him.

Naruto looked around to see dozens, hundreds of smiling faces. "Everyone," he whispered.

Minato and Jiraiya stepped closer to Naruto and placed their hands on his shoulders. Then Minato said, "Everyone you see here, like falling dominoes, have been touched by your heart and spirit. And those lives you touched went on to touch others. And we were but the few Naruto. There are so many more. So many you haven't even dreamed of."

"Never forget hat kiddo," Jiraiya said.

Suddenly everyone came in closer and Naruto could feel everyone reach out to touch him and those who couldn't simply touched the shoulder of those nearest to them. In the end Naruto was at the center of giant intertwined circle of his lost friends, family and those who had in some way been inspired by him.

Directly in front of him, was his mother, she had tears in her eyes as she smiled at him. It was a smile that reminded him so much of his own smile. "There was a time, when I first arrived here, that I was so worried for you Naruto," she said. "But seeing you now, I know Minato was right. He told me you would grow to be a great man. And you have, Naruto. You've become greater than I could have ever dreamed."

"And I know you'll become greater still," Minato said.

"W-What do you mean," Naruto asked. Before anyone could answer a beam of red light appeared from the sky above him and surrounded him. Suddenly he could feel an incredible pull as if he were a fish on a hook. "W-What is this," he asked.

"You're work isn't finished kid," Jiraiya said. "Go kick some ass ok! And give Tsunade my best. Tell her Dan and Nawaki are fine!"

"Guys," Naruto said as he looked around at all the smiling faces. Nagato and Yahiko smiled warmly and nodded.

The Third Hokage said, "The Will of Fire is strong in you Naruto. I know you will find a way."

Lee gave a thumbs up and smiled his usual bright smile before saying, "Naruto, show them the power of our splendid youth!"

"Help make a better future Naruto," Chiyo said.

"Hey yo, fight for what's right so you can make a future that's bright you little idiot, yeah," KillerBee rapped.

"If you see my mom," Katsu said. "Tell her I miss her for me ok?"

"Do it Naruto," Utakata said. "On behalf of all the Jinchuriki."

Naruto could feel himself slowly being lifted off the floor as his mother and father embraced him. "You've done well Naruto," Minato said. "As I expected my son to be. Now go finish the job."

With tears in her eyes Kushina put her hand on her son's cheek and said, "I-I really enjoyed the time we could spend together as a family even though it was brief. I love you, we love you, Naruto."

Tears began to run down Naruto's cheek as began to rise into the sky forcing his parents to let go. Naruto and his parents reached out to each other. He desperately longed for their touch. He could see the massive crowd of those who he had lost. Those that were precious to him. "No," he said. "Please….let me stay. I want to stay with you guys! Please don't let me go! There is so much I want to speak to you all about! Please mother, father, I don't want to do back! Let me stay! Please!"

"One day, we'll be together again son," Minato said as he hugged his wife to him as she cried. "But though we want you, others need you."

"Thank you for letting me be your mother," Kushina said as she choked back her tears. "Thank you for letting Minato be your father. And thank you Naruto, for being our son. Thank you!"

"Naruto fought to keep his body from shaking as he tensed his fist. "Mother, father, everyone," he said. "I will…I will find a way. I promise you! I will never forget the sacrifices you all have made! I promise you it won't be in vain! I will find a way to bring peace to this world!" Just as Naruto disappeared in the sky he yelled, "I will make you all proud of me!"

As the light faded Kushina buried her face into Minato's body and cried as Minato stroked her long hair. He could feel Jiraiya's hand on his shoulder and Kakashi standing on the other side. With a single tear running down cheek Minato said, "You already have made us proud…..my son."

_******Meanwhile – The Land of Fire******_

Sakura was at her limit. It felt as if someone was driving hot nails into her brain. Every cell in her body was on fire and her vision was fading. She knew she'd pass out any second. Deciding to make this her all or nothing move, she pumped the last massive surge of chakra into Naruto's body and to her amazement the body began to glow and she began to smile as tears began to fall from her eyes.

_******Elsewhere******_

Sasuke's eyes slowly opened as he moaned in pain. He was lying in pool of his own blood and his side ached. Yet his left arm was strangely numb. It was then he remembered why that was. Wincing in pain Sasuke activated his Eternal Mangekyo Rinnegan. He felt a piercing pain in his brain that nearly caused him to black out._ If I lose consciousness again I'll probably never wake up_, he thought. Sasuke raised his right arm in front of himself and a large apparition appeared in front of him. The apparition opened its mouth and large tongue snaked out and wrapped itself around Sasuke and pulled his body into its gapping maw.

A few moments later, a healed but clearly weakened Sasuke stumbled out of its mouth and the apparition disappeared. Sasuke tumbled to his knees as he gasped for air. He inspected his now healed left arm and side. _Healed_, he thought. _But it cost me way too much chakra._

Sasuke slowly got to he feet and looked up at the massive creature that still seemed unconcerned with him as it focused on the moon. Sasuke began to float higher and higher into the sky until it was right in front of the beasts face. Sasuke glared at the creature whose gaze was fixed on the moon. _Just as I thought_, Sasuke thought_. His consciousness is completely focused on Tsukuyomi. Well, perhaps it's time I woke him up!_

"Shinra Tensei," Sasuke said as a massive blast of gravity slammed into the Jyubi slamming it to the ground with earth shattering force. The Jyubi screamed in pain as it was knocked back into awareness. "Hmm," Sasuke said with a sarcastic smile. "Welcome back my Lord. So it seems a God can still feel pain!"

"YOU," Madara yelled as it blasted a beam of pure chakra from its eye at Sasuke. Sasuke quickly flew to dodge blast after blast.

Sasuke flew about as Madara swung trying to punch him and grab him. Madara fired several more beams that Sasuke was able to dodge until he flew right up to him and said, "Shinra Tensei!" Again the Jyubi's body was thrown down to the ground, uprooting and flattening dozens of trees in its wake.

The Jyubi quickly got to its feet and Madara yelled, "I have had enough of your interference you insect! You could have seen incredible power as the right hand of God! Now you will just be the first to feel my ultimate wrath!" The Jyubi raised its ten tails high into the sky and then drilled them into the ground.

Sasuke remained floating as he wondered what the beast was up to when one by one, each of the ten tails pierced out of the ground like massive, sinister columns reaching to the heavens, making a perfect circle about a quarter mile in circumference around both he and Madara. Then black chakra began to pass from one tail to another and before Sasuke knew it he was now surrounded in a chakra wall. "Now there will be no escape," Madara yelled as he laughed menacingly.

The Jyubi then opened its mouth wide as it created a dense ball of chakra. "Shit," Sasuke yelled as he quickly floated to the ground and summoned Susanoo. Susanoo was pumped with as much energy as he could muster forcing it to grow massive. He then forced Susanoo to create a large shield. Sasuke then wiped his hand on the blood on his shoulder and slammed his hand to the ground, "Summoning Jutsu: Triple Rashomon!" Three large, ornate walls grew from the ground in front of Sasuke just as Madara fired the blast that engulfed the entire area.

As the explosion died away Madara remained in the large crater staring down at the smoldering heap below. He laughed as he saw the smoke but was surprised to see Sasuke on all fours coughing. The Triple Rashomon had been obliterated and his Sasanoo was almost completely destroyed with only the rib cage and part of it's left arm remaining.

Annoyed, the Jyubi pulled its tails out of the ground and one tail launched at Sasuke and wrapped around him and the Susanoo skeleton. Sasuke fought to push the tail off to no avail as Madara raised him into the sky. Another tail moved in front of the Sasuke as its tip pointed directly at his head. "This time, I will ensure I won't miss" Madara said.

Sasuke gasped as the tail reared back and launched at him. Suddenly a large Fuma Shuriken-shaped mass of dense chakra came flying up and sliced off the tail half way and then exploded forcing Madara to let go of Sasuke as he yelled and fell back in pain.

Sasuke fell to the ground as Madara looked about. "That attack," Madara said in amazement. "That was…? But who could have….!" It was then he heard the familiar voice coming from the distance. And looking down he saw something that though he could see, he at the same time refused to believe.

"Hey Sasuke," Naruto said causing Sasuke to look back in amazement. Naruto's clothes were ragged and he was dripping wet. But Sasuke could see a fire in his eyes he'd never seen before as Naruto stood with a Rasen-Shuriken in each hand. "Get your ass up! Let's get wild!"

End of Chapter Thirty Seven

Next Time: Team Seven

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_"I must do this," he said as he turned to leave. "I can't allow my fear to prevent me from protecting my people. And to protect my people, I must know the truth."_

_"Very well my young Lord," the old man said as the young man reached the door. "But know this. If you go, it will cost you much more than you may be willing to pay. And if you learn the truth you could unleash an evil far greater than the one you are trying to save it from. Heed my words, young lord. Some truths must never be known...Not even by you..."_

**The Curse**...is coming!


	38. Team Seven

_INTRODUCTION_

Welcome back to the Chronicles of the Seventh. As always I like to begin by stating that I do not own Naruto.

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_THANK YOU_

A special thanks to all those who reviewed my previous chapter: Anonymous-stalker; NarutoBigFreak; ZeroTail29; SenninClaudio; Exor; maxslayer10; LowBatteryLife; airnaruto45; Mudcake; stryker4narusaku; happy everyday life; Konoha's crimson fox; Shauni2420; charles2420; Diamond Man; Kushina's Hell; hideki411; perfect beauty; soccernin19; Silver Senpai; theloverofanime; goldone5; musguian; MyHikari; Minao 0077; The Flying Lion; saveme57; Samiibee; KOSKAORU; Ben Vilhaven & Christina322

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_RESPONCES_

**Anonymous-stalker** - Lol!. He did indeed.

**NarutoBigFreak** - Lol! Well, I usually don't like to make a woman cry. But in this case I'll accept the compliment. Arigato!

**ZeroTail29** - There are actually two ways to spell it. Although I think you're right and the proper way is "juubi". But I prefer spelling it as "jyubi". It's just a little quirk I have. Thanks.

**SenninClaudio** - Thanks. Glad you liked it.

**Exor** - You enjoyed it that much huh? Awesome!

**maxslayer10** - Hmm, I think I'll more than likely go in a different direction than FMA. But I think it worked out great. I'm happy you liked the emotion I displayed in the characters.

**LowBatteryLife** - ALL HAIL THE POWER OF THE CLIFFHANGER!

**airnaruto45** - How indeed. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

**Mudcake** - I'm glad you feel that way. My hand feels much better now BTW. The curse will be revealed in time.

**stryker4narusaku** - Thanx.

**happy everyday life** - So how did you spend your two weeks. I bet they were fun and you didn't even think of my story. Lol! So are you saying that you'll hunt me down and kill me if I kill Sakura? LMAO! Good thing I invested in that new security system. Lol!

**Konoha's crimson fox** - Thanks dude. As for Sakura she is...well...you'll see.

**Shauni2420** - Thanx! It seems someone is excited!

**charles cdv** - Lol! Thanks.

**Diamond Man** - I'm glad you liked it. I really thought long and hard about this scene. I definitely wanted to do something where Naruto met his mom but yet something a bit...different and perhaps more meaningful. i hope you like this chapter and make no mistake...Team 7 is back in this chapter!

**Kushina's** - The only question I have is how similar was that chapter to the story you were telling me you were working on?

**hideki411** - Thanx.

**perfect beauty** - I'm glad you liked the moments Naruto had with his family. I really wanted to make it a sad yet happy moment.

**soccernin19** - In my story Nagato did not bring back the ones he killed during his attack on Konoha. As a result Kakashi, Fukasaku, Shizune and all the others who died that day remain dead.

**Silver Senpai** - Glad you're keeping up with my work Silver and once this is done I can focus on Blade of the Shinigami again.

**theloverofanime** - Arigato gozaimasu! *takes bow*

**goldone5** - Thanx.

**muguian** - GEEEEZ!What a long review! I LOVE IT! Almost as much as like messing with people's heads and ideas about what to expect in my story. Who knows, maybe I have another one for the final chapter! Lol!.

Ahh, SaixHina. I like it. I don't know why I like it. But I like it! They match well and could really be good together and for eachother.

Glad you like Sakura's new power. i think there are many different applications for such an ability and think it suits her well. For instance, Sakura was able to use her chakra to break Madara's ablity to use Tsukuyomi on Naruto. As for Sasuke, as a powerful Uchiha he was able to resist the effects.

ROFL! What are you talking about! Karin isn't pregnant! Why do you insist on this theory! _

The Curse will be revealed in time. Lol!So are you saying that out of 190+ fanfics read that mine is your favorite. High praise indeed if that's true. I thank you for that if it's true. Thank you for reading.

**MyHikari** - Ouch! I hope you're feeling better. You really should use sunblock. Aerosmith Huh! Can't say i'm much of a fan. HOWEVER, I did decide to listen to "Back in the Saddle" while writing these responces. I gotta say, not bad. In fact, it has given me an idea for a chapter of Blade of the Shinigami. So i thank you for leading to a bit of inspiration. Glad you enjoyed the chapter.

**minato 0077** - Thanx

**The Flying Lion** - No problem. I'm just happy you're still reading. And I'm glad you're enjoying my epic sauce sandwich! LMAO!

**saveme57** - I gotta be honest, everytime I read you name I broke out into singing the opening theme for Smallville! _"Somebody saaaaave meeee! Let your warms hands break right through and Sombody saaaaave meeeee! I don't care how you do it just staaaay, staaay, come on! I've been waiting for you! I've made this whole world shine for you! So just Stay, stay...c'mon!_ LMAO!

Oh yeah, and as for your predictions I'm glad they were wrong. If not then it would mean i'm predictable and all my friends agree that is something I'm not. Hey, if you wnat more Ns fans reading this story then spread the word. I rely on all of you guys to advertise for me. Because it's free and I'm cheap. Lol!

**Samilbee** - My story is like a rollercoaster. Sure it might make you throw up but in the end you'll enjoy it so much you'll want to ride it again. Lol! As for romance I wanted to make the level of romance realistic to not just the characters but the situation. I think it would have been too strange to have tons of romance between characters while thier fighting to save the world. But there will be more romance before it's all said and done. Lol! Oh, and consider my ass officially hurried.

**KOSKAORU** - introducing a smarter, stronger and more confident sakura was very important to me. I'm just glad so many of you have loved her depiction. I was also focused on not making her too strong. I think many fans who write fics about Sakura are so inclined to make her strong that they make her so strong that it loses all sence of realism. I wanted progression, more than anything, to seem natural. So you want more NS moments too huh? Well, more will come before all is done. Believe me. As for you're english, it's quite good. I wouldn't have known englis wasn't your natural language if you hadn't said anything.

**Ben** - Due to his low chakra Sasuke was unable to heal himself completely. Under normal circumstances it would have been a complete heal as you said. But in this case Sasuke was not strong enough at the time.

Sakura is not aware of her ability. Madara, the only one who realizes it, has not told her. But Naruto knows now. I'm sure he'll tell her.

**Christina322** - Glad you had time to write the review. My hand and I thank you. It seems my depcition of NAruto in the after life has gone over quite well. That's great.

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_MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR_

Wow, I think it's bee a long time since I've gotten so many reviews for one chapter. **Over Forty reviews and over forty replies!** Thank you all for taking the time out to share your thoughts. I wonder if it's too much to ask to get the same amount or more. Lol!

And then there was one. I don't really have much to say except: BE HERE IN TWO WEEKS FOR THE THRILLING CONCLUSION OF A STORY OVER TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING. **THE FINAL CHAPTER OF CHRONICLES OF THE SEVENTH.** THERE WILL ALSO BE AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF SEVERAL UPCOMING WORKS FROM RAMENRENEGADE! BE HERE!

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Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XXXVIII: Team Seven

_******Valley of the End – Several Minutes Ago******_

Sakura winced in pain as she continued to pump more and more of Naruto's chakra into his corpse. Realizing she was close to her limit, she decided to put her all into her next attempt. Steeling herself she poured every ounce of chakra she had left. And that's when she felt it. It was the unmistakable feeling of a heart beat.

Naruto's heart beat once and then again. It was slow and weak at first, but slowly his heart began to beat faster as his body glowed with chakra. Suddenly Naruto's eyes opened wide as he inhaled a large amount of oxygen. His body stiffened as Sakura fought to keep Naruto still.

Slowly Naruto began to take quick, ragged breaths. "N-Naruto," Sakura asked as she stared at him. Her body was shaking from pain, joy and exhaustion.

Weakly Naruto looked at Sakura and smiled. "Hey, Sakura-chan," he said.

Unable to contain her joy, Sakura hugged onto Naruto and laughed as she cried. "Naruto," she said. "Thank God! Thank God! I-I thought I'd lost you!"

Naruto squeezed Sakura's arm reassuringly and smiled. "You haven't gotten rid of me yet," he said. Naruto and Sakura then kissed gently as she stroked his face.

"Don't ever do that to me again Naruto," Sakura said. "I don't think I have it in me to save your ass again."

Naruto stroked the back of her head and said, "Yeah, about that, thank you Sakura! You really, saved my life. I'll never forget it."

Sakura looked at Naruto and turned red in the face. Her eyes were glazed and puffy with tears. "Y-you're welcome, Naruto," she said.

Naruto then looked over Sakura's shoulder and his eyes widened as he saw the massive creature in the distance and the large Mangekyo Sharingan imprinted on the moon. "Don't worry," Sakura said. "I made sure you would be immune to the effects of Madara's genjutsu."

Naruto looked at Sakura and smiled. "Thanks," he said. "I wouldn't expect anything less from your Kekkei Genkai."

Sakura looked at Naruto with a puzzled expression. "What are you talking about," she asked.

Naruto smiled and shook his head. "I'll explain it to you later," he said.

"Right," Sakura said as she dipped into her tool kit. She then pulled out one of her soldier pills. "Here Naruto, this will build up your strength. It's my last one."

Naruto raised his hand to decline. "You eat it Sakura," he said. "You're exhausted. You need it more than I do."

"Shut up and take it Naruto," Sakura yelled causing Naruto to stare quietly. "You…..you're going to fight that thing aren't you? You and I both know that you're the only one who can. You need this. Please…..just take it."

"Sakura," Naruto said as he stared at her. Sakura smiled and said, "I believe in you Naruto. Don't worry about me."

Naruto reached over and took the pill and ate it quickly. Within seconds he could feel a wave of strength wash over him. He quickly got to his feet as Sakura remained kneeling looking up at him. Knowing Sakura lacked the strength to walk on her own he quickly scooped her up in his arms before she could protest and walked with her until he arrived under the shade of a large tree. He gently put her down and she was surprised to see that he was already in Sage Mode.

Looking deep into her eyes, Naruto clasped his hands around her left hand. "This ends today Sakura," he said. "I swear this to you. You are with me in spirit and along with Sasuke, we will put an end to it."

"Sasuke," Sakura asked. "You mean?"

"Yes," Naruto said. "I can sense his chakra in that direction. He is fighting the creature even now. I'm not sure how it happened. But I think the old Sasuke is back. Team Seven is back."

Tears came to Sakura's eyes. "Thank you Naruto," she said. "You never gave up on him. I knew you could do it."

"We did it," Naruto said as he slowly got to his feet. Naruto then turned from Sakura and glared at the massive beast. "And now….we finish it."

Naruto disappeared before Sakura's eyes leaving her alone. Sakura took a deep breath and stared at the creature. The words Naruto had uttered echoed in her mind. _"Team Seven is back."_

Naruto leapt through the trees moving at a speed that surprised even him. Several times he looked at his own body and was amazed at how fast he was effortlessly moving. Within moments he had almost arrived when he saw a massive explosion ahead of him that knocked him out of the trees and to the ground far below.

As the explosion died away Naruto got to his feet. _What was that_, he wondered as he sprinted towards the area. Naruto ran through the trees until suddenly the trees opened to a massive smoldering crater. Naruto gasped at the size of it. _Did the Jyubi do this_, he wondered. Naruto then looked into the crater and found Sasuke, doubled over in pain. Susanoo had been nearly obliterated and the Kyubi wrapped one of it's massive tails around him and lifted into the air until he was face to face with the beast.

Naruto quickly began to create a RasenShuriken in his right hand and was again, surprised at how effortless it seemed. So much so that he decided to create another in his left hand. Naruto then quickly took aim and let one fly and quickly created another to replace it. The attack struck the beast and severed its tail before exploding, which forced the creature to let Sasuke loose.

Sasuke fell to the ground just as Naruto stepped out from the shadows of the tree. "Hey Sasuke," he said. "Get the hell up. Let's get wild!"

Sasuke stared at Naruto as if staring at a ghost. "Y-You," he said. "Impossible. It's just not possible!"

The massive creature got to its feet and glared down at the small blonde human. "Eh," it said. "Namikaze! How can you be alive! You were sacrificed for my Godhood!"

Naruto grinned at the massive beast and said, "I warned you not to underestimate me Madara!" Naruto quickly threw both RasenShuriken at the beast, striking it head on. Naruto quickly disappeared and appeared in next to Sasuke who slowly got to his feet. He looked at Naruto, whose gaze was fixed straight ahead, in silence.

Sasuke then looked ahead and said, "Sakura right?"

"Yep," Naruto said.

"Mm-hmm," Sasuke said. "She's stronger than I gave her credit for."

"So are you," Naruto said. "It's good to have the real you back…..Sasuke."

"The real me," Sasuke asked. "Tch, you're still too naïve for your own good. Nothing's changed between us Naruto. When this is finished…."

"We still have to see who is stronger," Naruto said with a bright smile. "Once and for all. I….look forward to it."

Sasuke stared at him for a while and then looked straight ahead. He gave a small smile that Naruto couldn't see and then said, "Alright, lets finish this quickly then."

Out of the smoke, one of the Jyubi's legs stepped out and then the entire creature lunged out. "Bastard," the Jyubi yelled. "How are you still alive! How are you so strong!"

"You know, for a while I wasn't to sure myself," Naruto said as he looked at his opened palms. "For some reason, I feel faster, I feel stronger. Despite everything, I feel like I a weight that I've always had to carry is just not there anymore. And I think I realize why. All my life, I've had to devote nearly half my chakra to the seal that kept the Kyubi in check."

Naruto clenched both fists and suddenly began to glow bright red. The wind around him began to rage like a miniature tornado, forcing Sasuke to shield his eyes. "But now that the Kyubi is gone, I can use all of my chakra," Naruto said. "I didn't get stronger. I'm just….fighting at one hundred percent."

Naruto suddenly moved so fast it seemed as though he had vanished and before anyone could react he was up in the air, face to face with the Jyubi. Naruto slammed his elbow directly into the beasts face with such amazing force that the massive creature pitched back and crashed to the ground.

"Such speed," Sasuke said in awe. "He's faster than I've ever seen." The Jyubi quickly got to its feet and fired a beam of chakra from its eyes that Naruto quickly dodged. Naruto kicked the Jyubi squarely in the ribs forcing it back as it yelled in pain. Using his Mangekyo Rinnegan Sasuke quickly analyzed Naruto's power. _Wait_, he thought. _He's not running at top speed. He's releasing quick and sudden bursts of wind to propel him with such speed he's barely visible._

Wasting no time, Naruto moved in with a massive Rasengan, when the Jyubi suddenly swung it's giant paw and struck Naruto in the side, launching him down to the ground. Before he crashed to the ground Naruto released a massive burst of wind to stop his fall and landed on his feet.

"You're power is impressive Namikaze," Madara said. "But you are nothing compared to a God!" The Jyubi looked directly at Sasuke and suddenly Sasuke could feel the world around him changing.

Sasuke grabbed his head and screamed in pain as he fought the affects of Madara's power. Suddenly he found himself in the Death Sleep of Tsukuyomi. He was strapped to a massive cross and was surrounded by millions of others, who were being tortured. In front of him stood Madara with a sick smile on his face. "You're chakra has dropped too low to fight off my Tsukuyomi, Sasuke," Madara said. "Now you too will become part of me."

"Sasuke," Naruto yelled as he ran towards Sasuke as his body crumpled to the ground as though he were a puppet whose strings had been cut. Naruto ran up and slid to his knees as he pulled Sasuke up. "Sasuke, Sasuke," he yelled but there was no response. Sasuke's face was blank. His eyes were open and vacant.

Madara laughed viciously as he looked down at Naruto. "Namikaze," he said. "If you want to be by his side so badly then allow yourself to join with me! Then you can be together for all eternity!"

"Go to hell," Naruto yelled.

"Very well," Madara yelled as the Jyubi raised its paw and swung at him, intent on impaling him with its claws. "Then Die!"

Suddenly someone leapt out of the nearby trees and yelled, "Shaaannaaaro!" The person punched the beast squarely in the chest knocking it back. Naruto was shocked when the person landed and he saw it was Sakura.

"Sakura," he mumbled. But Naruto then looked at Sakura closer. _Wait, her chakra is different_, he thought. _Plus I can still sense her chakra a mile and half away from here. _Naruto smiled and asked, "When did you learn how to perform Shadow Clone Jutsu Sakura?"

A mile and a half away Sakura sat exhausted. She smiled to herself as she took a deep, measured breath. Meanwhile, Sakura's clone looked back at Naruto and smiled. "Only recently," it said. "But Sakura isn't good enough at it. She can only create one at a time." The clone walked over and quickly kneeled next to them. "Sakura had a needle with adrenaline on her. The moment you left she stuck herself with it and used the extra energy to create me. She had me follow you as best I could and hide."

"Why," Naruto asked.

"This," the clone said as it looked at Sasuke. "Just in case one of you was taken over by his Tsukuyomi again." Sakura placed her hand on Sasuke's forehead. "I think I know why Madara tried to kill me. It's because of this power isn't it? I have some ability that allows me to break his genjutsu don't I?"

Naruto nodded. The clone laughed and said, "I think I always sort of knew something was different. I don't come from a powerful ninja family, yet I was always strangely good with Genjutsu. Well, at least I could help, like I always wanted to." Suddenly Sasuke's eyes flew open and he looked around frantically. Realizing where he was he calmed down. "You're fine now Sasuke," Sakura said. "His Tsukuyomi won't affect you anymore."

Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura got to their feet just as Madara got up. "You bastards," Madara yelled. "I'll rip you all to shreds! All of you will die at my hands!"

The clone looked at her hands and said, "Well, it looks like I'm out of chakra."

"Sakura," Sasuke said. "Thank you."

Sakura smiled as tears welled in her eyes. "It's alright Sasuke." Looking at Naruto she said, "We're all Team Seven after all." The clone disappeared in a puff of smoke and, far away, the real Sakura wiped a tear from her eye.

The earth shook as the Jyubi took one slow, deliberate step at a time. Both Naruto and Sasuke walked up and stood next to each other. Sasuke took a deep breath and said, "Naruto, you hit him high."

"And you hit him low," Naruto said. Both men took off in a sprint, zig zagging their way towards the Jyubi. The Jyubi fired a massive blast of chakra towards them. Sasuke leapt in front and raised his hands and the beam of energy struck an invisible shield that protected the two of them. Naruto immediately leapt into the air and fired a blast of wind underneath him to propel himself skyward. As soon as he reached the Jyubi's face he created a massive ball of energy. "Giant Rasengan," he yelled as he struck the creature.

Down below Sasuke quickly created his fully formed Susanoo and fired a massive arrow covered with black flames at the creature. Both attacks struck simultaneously, resulting in a massive explosion.

"You think we got him," Naruto asked as he landed next to Sasuke.

"Do you really need to ask such a stupid question," Sasuke answered. As the smoke and debris settled the Jyubi walked out and growled before sprinting towards them.

Naruto sighed as he pulled his last kunai out. "Any chance this could be easy," he asked as he ran towards the beast.

"When is it ever easy," Sasuke responded as he ran behind him.

"Now Sasuke," Naruto yelled as Sasuke once again created Susanoo. This time Naruto leapt onto its shoulders as it closed in on the Jyubi. The Jyubi swung at them and Naruto easily leapt up to avoid the attack while Sasuke used Susanoo's shield to block it. While high in the sky Naruto threw his kunai and made a hand seal. "Shadow Kunai Clone Jutsu," he yelled as his one kunai turned into hundreds that all fell, impaling the Jyubi and the ground all around it.

Naruto then immediately vanished and appeared by one of the kunai behind the Jyubi. Making another hand seal he said, "Shadow Clone Jutsu !" Suddenly he had created two hundred copies of himself and each copy then vanished and each appeared by one of the kunai. Suddenly the Jyubi found himself surrounded by hundreds of Naruto clones.

Each clone then created a Rasengan and reared back, ready to leap. "Ha," Madara yelled. "I'll destroy all of you before you can harm me!"

"Don't be so sure of that," Sasuke yelled as he fired a blast of black flame, hitting the Jyubi in the face, blinding it. Using the opening Sasuke created, all of the clones leapt at the Jyubi, hitting it with a barrage of Rasengan all over its body. The Jyubi crashed to the ground, yelling in pain and Sasuke quickly ran towards it and once he was close enough he said, "Shinra Tensei!" The beast was struck by his attack and was launched back crashing into the ground and uprooting dozens of trees.

Immediately several chakra arms spouted from the Jyubi's body and attacked both men causing them to leap back and dodge attack after attack. The massive arms created small craters in the ground with every strike as Naruto and Sasuke avoided each deadly assault.

Then out of each arm small balls of concentrated chakra began flow out and exploded like small paper bombs. Sasuke and Naruto, their clothes singed, leapt back out of the smoke and landed next to each other prepared to defend themselves. Seeing that his coat, his fathers' coat, was burning Naruto created a blast of wind to put out the flame and then he took it off and set it aside. Meanwhile, the dozens of chakra arms the Jyubi created was reabsorbed back into its body and the beast rose to its feet and Madara laughed. They could see that the wounds they had inflicted on it had already healed. "That thing is healing every attack we hit it with," Sasuke said.

"Then we just have to keep hitting it with attacks it can't heal," Naruto said. "Eventually it will reach its limit."

_That's easy enough for you to say Naruto_, Sasuke thought. _Between my fight with you and the amount of chakra I used before you got here I'm already reaching my chakra limit. And despite all your big talk, you look like you're starting to feel the effects of using so many big attacks too. You don't have the Kyubi to replenish you anymore Naruto._

"Hey Sasuke," Naruto said as he took deep breaths. "I have an idea. You wanna try a little combo technique I've been thinking up?"

"What do you have in mind," Sasuke whispered.

"How many shadow clones can you create right now," Naruto asked with a smile.

Madara looked on as the two men quickly created their plan. "Worthless," he yelled. "All of you're plans are worthless against overwhelming power!"

Naruto then slipped his hand into his tool kit and pulled out about a dozen smoke bombs and threw them to the ground, obscuring the Jyubi's vision. Then out of the smoke, Naruto and Sasuke sprinted out towards the creature.

Sasuke took the lead as Naruto ran behind with a small scroll in his hand. Naruto un-wrapped it and there was a seal on it. He placed his hand on it and summoned a large Fuma Shuriken. "Idiots," Madara screamed as he looked at them. "Do you really think I'm so blind not to realize you two are clones! The real Naruto and Sasuke are still hidden in the smoke. I can see the difference in your chakra!"

The Jyubi fired a thin beam of concentrated chakra from his eyes at the two running towards him but to his surprise Sasuke created an invisible force of energy the block the attack. Naruto then leapt and threw the shuriken at the Jyubi. "As if such a thing could damage me," Madara said as the attack came at him. Madara then swung out and knocked the shuriken away but it was then he realized his error. In the shadow of the shuriken Naruto had created a RasenShuriken that continued towards him. "What," Madara yelled as the attack struck him and he was engulfed in light.

The Jyubi's body was badly burnt as the explosion died away but it instantly began to heal. "Damn you," Madara said contemptuously as the beast glared at the two clones. The Jyubi opened it's mouth and fired a ball of energy that obliterated the clones and then he looks at the smoke where he could see the real Naruto and Sasuke hiding.

"Have you pulled up enough energy," Naruto asked.

"Yes," Sasuke responded. "But you should know that I'll be using a massive amount of chakra for this Naruto. This plan of yours had better work."

Naruto smiled just as the Jyubi fired a massive blast at them. "Don't worry," Naruto said as he placed his hand on Sasuke's shouldered. "This will end it." An instant before the blast struck Naruto and Sasuke vanished. The blast of energy hit the ground and exploded with earth shattering force.

"Did I get them," Madara asked.

"Not exactly," Naruto said as he and Sasuke stood to the Jyubi's left.

Before Madara could respond he heard Naruto's voice also coming from the right. "But I really should thank you Madara," Naruto said. Madara turned and saw Naruto and Sasuke standing to his right. And again before he could respond he heard Naruto's voice behind him. "If you weren't so damned full of yourself, Sasuke and I wouldn't have had the time to pull this off," Naruto said.

_So I'm surrounded huh_, Madara thought.

"Ready Sasuke," Naruto asked.

Sasuke nodded as he and his other two clones made and hand seal and snapped his eyes shut and concentrated. Then, simultaneously, all three Sasuke's took a deep breath and blew out a massive, dragon-shaped column of fire and ignited the fire even further covering them with the black flames of Amaterasu. "Blaze Release: Dragon Fire Amaterasu!"

Madara was shocked to see three large dragon-shaped, columns of Black Flame headed towards him. He quickly took and deep breath and blew out a massive blast of black flame to consume Sasuke's technique. That's when a smile came to Naruto's face as he made several hand seals and said, "Just what I wanted!"

All three Naruto's then said, "Wind Release: Heavenly Tornado!" Each Naruto released a massive spinning vortex of wind that struck the Sasuke's black flames. The flames quickly absorbed Naruto's technique and grew even larger. "When wind is used against fire, fire just gets more powerful," Naruto said.

Madara suddenly found himself surrounded by three massive dragons made of black flames. The dragons easily consumed Madara's attack and then consumed the Jyubi. Madara screamed in pain as the flames of Amaterasu engulfed him and turned him into ash.

Sasuke's clones vanished as he doubled over in exhaustion. He was taking deep breaths as he fought to compose himself. "Damn it," he said. "Creating those clones and having them each create that technique almost drained me completely."

Naruto staggered away from him as his clones vanished as well. After he took a few steps he fell to the ground. He didn't want to admit it but he had been pushed near his limit too. "Well," he said. "The important thing is that it's over. Now we can get back to finishing up our unfinished business."

Sasuke looked at him and couldn't help but smile. "Right," he said.

Naruto smiled and looked up at the blue sky. "But luckily for you I'm willing to give you some time to get your strength back."

"I don't want you to have any excuses when I kick…..your….," Naruto said as he felt his voice trail off and all energy drain from his body. To his horror he saw Madara standing behind an unsuspecting Sasuke. Madara was partially transformed into the Jyubi and had a wide, sickening smile spread across his face as though he were a cat enjoying it's prey.

"Sasuke, look out," Naruto yelled as he got to his feet. But it was too late. As Sasuke turned Madara plunged his arm deep into Sasuke's chest and out his back. In disbelief Naruto yelled, "Sasuke!"

Madara raised Sasuke's body up into the air and then tossed him aside. Naruto began to tremble with rage as he saw Sasuke's body tumble to the ground like a discarded rag doll. "Sasuke," he yelled.

Madara laughed as he looked at his blood soaked arm. "H-How," Naruto stuttered.

Madara looked at Naruto with a quizzical look. "Why would you ask me such a thing," he asked. "As a former host you should know the answer? Oh, that's right. You never spent much time learning all the different abilities that come with becoming a perfect Jinchuriki did you?" Madara tore a stray piece of cloth from his tattered shirt and used it to wipe away Sasuke's blood. "One of the more amazing abilities is the ability to switch places with severed limbs of the Biju." Naruto's was astonished as he remembered that he himself had cut off half of one of the Jyubi's tails when had first arrived. "I believe the Eight Tails Jinchuriki had used the same trick on Sasuke a few years back," Madara said as he crossed his arms and shook his head. "Tch, tch, tch, some people just never learn. I have to admit though, that combination would have done some serious damage if I had been caught in it."

"Now," Madara said as he began to release a massive amount of chakra. "Where were we!" Suddenly Madara transformed again into the massive Jyubi and glared down at Naruto full of hate and malice. "Namikaze," the Jyubi yelled. "You're time too has come!"

The Jyubi quickly fired a massive blast of chakra from its mouth but Naruto released strong vortex of wind from both palms that launched him high in the sky and over the blast radius. But the Jyubi was ready and it swung and struck Naruto with its massive paw. Naruto was launched down into the ground with such force his body created a crater in the ground.

Naruto moaned in pain and grimaced as he looked up. The Jyubi raised two of its tailed and pointed them directly at him and thrust down intent on crushing him. Naruto suddenly disappeared and re-appeared next to one of his chakra blades several yards away. Wasting no time the Jyubi turned and fired a beam of energy from its eyes at him. Again Naruto vanished and appeared by another of his blades. Again the Jyubi turned and fired and again Naruto teleported away.

"Enough," Madara yelled, clearly frustrated. The Jyubi suddenly raised his head up looking towards the sky and began to create a massive ball of dense chakra. The chakra was so heavy it was driving the beast into the ground.

Knowing what was to come, Naruto quickly created a hand seal. "Wind Style: Living Tornado," he yelled as his body was surrounded a tornado about twice his size and began to run as fast as he could.

Madara dropped the chakra ball onto the ground causing it to explode completely obliterating the surrounding area and all of the chakra blades Naruto had created. Naruto leapt out of the smoke and debris. His arms were crossed in front of his face to shield his eyes. His shirt had been shredded. His bare chest and arm and were burned and his pants were tattered.

Naruto landed on his back and rolled to stop on his stomach. He was breathing heavily and drenched in sweat. _Damn it_, Naruto said. _I barely survived that one. _The Jyubi walked closer to him and had a sinister smile on its face. Its eye began to glow and it fired a beam of energy towards Naruto when, much to both their surprise, Sasuke appeared in front of him and blocked the attack with an invisible wall of energy.

Before the Jyubi or even Naruto could react, both Naruto and Sasuke seemed to vanish. The Jyubi began looking about for some sign of the two but he could not sense them. "Eh," Naruto said as he looked around the dark space. He was sitting still and his hands could feel something warm, squishy and wet. Not only that but it was moving slightly. "Where are we?"

Sasuke was kneeling next to him, clutching the wound to his chest. It was still bleeding, but not as much as before. Sasuke was gasping for air and he was making a low whistling sound with every inhale. Naruto could tell that Sasuke's lungs had been damaged. "We're…..inside….a chameleon summon," Sasuke said. "It was the best I could do on short notice. I commanded it to run and hind in the forest. It'll take some time for Madara to locate us."

Naruto sighed heavily as he leaned back. "We're really in some deep shit huh," Naruto asked. It really wasn't a question but more a statement of fact. Sasuke remained quiet as he tried to think through any options they had.

"At this point its clear that we'd lose in a contest of stamina and endurance," Sasuke said.

"He heals from every attack within seconds," Naruto said. "Even burning him alive with our combo attack was useless."

"It's nearly impossible to trick him," Sasuke said. "That eye of his can see nearly any attack and has a full three hundred sixty degrees of vision. Not to mention he has complete knowledge of nearly every jutsu in existence."

"So what do we do," Naruto asked.

"We could run," Sasuke said with a half-hearted smile.

"No," Naruto said flatly. "Not an option."

Clearly Naruto didn't get the joke. But joke or not, Sasuke also knew they couldn't run even if thy wanted to. He had the chakra left to call forth the apparition and heal himself. He could run. But then what? Eventually Madara would complete his Ultimate Tsukuyomi and every man, woman and child on earth would be his slaves. There would be no where to hide. Not only that but Naruto and Sakura wouldn't run. He knew that. They would stay and die fighting.

There was really only one option. The realization of it made Sasuke tremble a bit. And then a smile came to his face. Suddenly he recalled that night when everything changed forever. _"Foolish little brother, if you wish to kill me, hate me, detest me. And yet survive in an unsightly way. Run, run and cling to life, and when you have the same eyes as mine, come to me."_

For the first time Sasuke could remember the tone of Itachi's voice. It was flat, lifeless, but yet there was a slight trembling to it. He could remember the tear in Itachi's eye as he turned to face him before fleeing the village.

_Ahh Itachi, brother_, Sasuke thought as he looked at Naruto now. _Is this what you felt that night? I'm afraid, yet my resolve is strong. I feel so much hate, sorrow and yet, I feel optimism. I thought for so long I understood you; even after we finally spoke I believed I understood the truth about you. But…._

Sasuke could remember Itachi's words to him just before their final showdown. _"People live their lives bound by what they accept as correct and true," Itachi said. "That's how they define "reality". But what does it mean to be "correct" or "true"? Merely vague concepts … their "reality" may all be a mirage. Can we consider them to simply be living in their own world, shaped by their beliefs?"_

Sasuke took a deep, calming breath. _Brother_, he thought. _Those words to me weren't just your attempt to lift the veil covering my eyes to the truth of our past was it? It was also to guide my future. And yet still I didn't't see it. I didn't't learn the final thing you wanted to teach me in life until now. I think now, I finally see the reality of our existence and not the reality I created for myself. Brother, for the first time, I think I truly understand your heart._

"Hey Sasuke," Naruto said. "What's with the smile?"

Sasuke shook his head and his face once again was stern. "Nothing," he said. "Hey Naruto, do you think you could hold off Madara on your own for a while?"

"Why," Naruto asked. He looked at Sasuke suspiciously and said, 'You not really going to run away are you?"

"No I'm not going to run you moron," Sasuke yelled. "I have a Jutsu that I can use. It was my ace that I was saving to use against you if I had to."

"Will it work," Naruto asked.

"Honestly, I'm not sure," Sasuke said. "I never planned on using it against something like that monster. But I have to try."

Naruto looked at Sasuke's wound on his chest. It was still bleeding and he needed medical attention. _If only I could get him to Sakura_, Naruto thought. "Do you think you have the chakra to pull it off?"

"Don't worry about that," Sasuke responded. "Just give me two minutes to gather he chakra I need."

"Right," Naruto said.

Sasuke reached down and placed his hand on the Chameleon's tongue and energy pulsated throughout it's body. The Chameleon, after swallowing both Sasuke and Naruto had run off and hid in the nearby woods as commanded. I had currently stuck itself to the side of a mountain range when it received Sasuke's command. The Chameleon leapt down to the ground and quickly made its way back to the edge of the forest line. Beyond the forest was the large open area where The Jyubi remained looking about for Sasuke and Naruto. "Where are you," Madara yelled impatiently.

The Chameleon became visible and lowered it's mouth and opened its tongue releasing Sasuke and Naruto and then it vanished in a puff of smoke. Sasuke took a deep breath and then looked to Naruto. "Remember I need two minutes," he said. "You think you can last that long?"

Naruto laughed and made a hand seal. "Two minutes," he asked. "Heh! Now that I got my second wind…..two minutes will be a piece of cake. Shadow Clone Army Jutsu!" Sasuke stood dumbfounded as Naruto created hundreds of clones that surrounded him and encompassed a massive portion of the wooded area.

"This is," Sasuke Sasuke said. "Incredible. There are at least six or seven hundred clones."

"Heh," Naruto said proudly. "You weren't the only one with an ace up his sleeve."

Madara was about to transform back into a human when he heard what sounded like hundreds of voices coming from the nearby forest. The Jyubi turned to walk in that direction when to Madara's surprise what appeared to be a tidal wave of Naruto clones began swarming out of the forest towards him.

"What is this," Madara said in disbelief as he was nearly bowled over as the wave of clones crashed into him. The clones began punching, kicking, hitting the creature with Wind Style techniques, even biting. The Jyubi reared back and screamed in pain and frustration. "Damn you, you little pests," Madara screamed as he began knocking the clones away.

Far below Sasuke remained hidden behind a large ridge. He remained in deep concentration as he held one hand seal and fought to ignore the pain he was in. _C'mon Naruto_, he thought. _Just hold out!_

Madara, even in his Jyubi form, found himself nearly covered head to foot in clones. Clearly angered he yelled, "Enough of this nonsense!" Chakra arms began to sprout from all over his body and began attacking and destroying the clones. And once he had destroyed about half the he then released a massive amount of chakra from his body destroying all the remaining clones and throwing the real Naruto to the ground with incredible force.

_Just another minute Naruto_, Sasuke thought as he remained in his stance gathering chakra. The Jyubi instantly began to attack Naruto who was clearly at his limit. The Jyubi raised its large paw and brought it down intent on crushing Naruto. Unable to get up in time Naruto rolled out of the way just in the nick of time. Again the Jyubi raised its paw and brought it down and again Naruto rolled out of the way.

_Damn it_, Naruto thought as he was finally able to stand. The Jyubi then created chakra spears from its body and they launched at a surprised Naruto. Naruto tried to leap clear but one spear pierced into is upper thigh and he fell to the ground. Naruto yelled in pain as he fell to the ground. He could feel his leg seizing and suddenly he could feel his whole body spasm. _Shit_, he thought. _The chakra is poisoning me. _

Realizing Naruto's predicament Sasuke ran out into the open while still holding his hand seal and gathering the chakra. _Damn it Naruto move_, he thought. _Move you fucking moron! _Naruto tried to move but his muscles refused to follow his commands. The most he could manage was to turn and sit up facing the evil monster.

"And now, the final blow," Madara said as two more spears protruded from his chest and launched at Naruto and pierced him in the heart and stomach. Naruto made an animal like gurgling sound as he spat up blood and leaned forward. His eyes were vacant and lifeless. Just then Naruto faded away as though he was a mirage. "What," Madara yelled in confusion. "What's going on?"

Just then Madara saw Naruto standing, several yards away, unscathed. Naruto was looking at his chest and stomach in complete confusion. "What just," he asked. "What happened? How am I?" Just then he turned and looked at Sasuke. And it all began to make sense.

Coming to the same realization Madara turned to Sasuke. "You," he yelled. "When did you learn to use that technique!"

"Looks like I made it," Sasuke said. He was breathing even heavier now and he was dripping in sweat. His wound was bleeding more now. Naruto looked at Sasuke's right eye and noticed that the tomoe in it had turn a milky white and his eye closed partially.

Madara laughed. "My, my Sasuke," he said. "Did you sneak into my private labs and get hold of some of Hashirama's DNA? And you then learned how to use Izanagi?"

"I warned you not to underestimate me Madara," Sasuke said.

"Hmmm, but the price to use that technique is great Sasuke," Madara said. "And you can only use it once more!"

_He's right_, Sasuke thought. _I only planned on using that technique once! I can still see in that eye thanks to the Rinnegan. But once the Rinnegan runs it's coarse that eye will be permanently blind!_

Suddenly to both Naruto and Sasuke's surprise the Jyubi leapt high into the air and landed just behind Sasuke and prepared to strike. _So fast_, Naruto thought as he sprinted towards them. Before the Jyubi could strike Sasuke opened his hand and in his palm was a small black sphere. The orb quickly floated up to eye level of the Jyubi and began to glow. Madara looked at the orb in shock and said, "That's…?"

"Chibaku…..Tensei," Sasuke said as the sphere began to glow and pull everything to it including earth, debris and the surrounding forest. The Jyubi felt a massive pull and it dug all ten of its tails into the ground in hopes of anchoring itself. "Oh….no…..you….don't," Sasuke yelled as he forced more chakra into the technique and the Jyubi began to rise into the air as it's tails were dragged out of the earth.

Naruto stood in amazement as he watched the scene playing out before him. He'd never seen anything like this before. He had leapt out of the radius of the technique and stared in amazement as large chunks of rock and dirt tore free from the ground and began to form a large circular orb. Trees were being uprooted and the chakra being released was nearly over whelming.

The Jyubi was pulled into the orb as it fought frantically to get free. It fired beams from its eyes and mouth as it tried to blast free. "No," Madara yelled. "This can not hold me!" Which was true. Despite Sasuke's efforts the Jyubi was slowly fighting its way free. Naruto could tell Sasuke's chakra was dropping.

_Damn it_, Sasuke thought as he coughed up blood. _I-I don't have enough…..chakra. _Just then he felt someone's hand on his shoulder. Looking back he saw it was Naruto.

"Use my chakra Sasuke," Naruto said with a smile. "Use all of it if you have to."

Sasuke nodded and began to siphon chakra from Naruto. Suddenly the two exploded with power and the technique grew stronger than ever. "Impossible," Madara yelled as he poured even more power into freeing himself. Sasuke and Naruto looked and saw that the imprint of Tsukuyomi which was imprinted on the moon faded away.

_******Meanwhile******_

Tsunade gritted her teeth and tried to picture herself back in her garden behind her home tending to her flowers. She was at peace, she was safe, she was happy. She tried to convince her self of this as Madara continued his torture. Again he stuck his blade into her side for what seemed like the millionth time. "I am your God," Madara said. "You will love me unquestioningly. You…will…praise…."

Tsunade opened her eyes when she heard Madara's voice fade away and saw that he was gone. Looking around she found that all the visions of Madara were gone and the everything suddenly turned white.

Tsunade gasped as she breathed the fresh are and saw the pale blue sky above her. Her body felt heavy and weak. She could hear the birds chirping and the sounds of others slowly waking. _Am I alive_, she wondered. _The Genjutsu…has it been broken?_

Willing herself to sit up she looked about to see the entire army fallen around her. Slowly everyone began to get up. Some began to ask if others were ok. Some moaned as they fought through the affects. Some were clearly shaken by the experience and were crying and terrified. "Lady Tsunade," Gaara said as he sat up. "Are you ok?"

"More or less," Tsunade said. "Raikage, how are you?"

"Having that bastard in my head is something I never want to feel again," he said. "The real question is, why did the genjutsu break?"

"Madara wouldn't break it willingly unless it had taken full affect," Gaara said.

"Are you saying we could all now be his slaves," Tsunade said.

"No," Shikamaru said. Everyone looked to see Shikamaru walking up. He was leaning on Temai's shoulder. Both of them looked haggard and exhausted. "I don't think the jutsu worked. On some of us it seemed like it was close. But all I know is I want to kill Madara so bad right now I'm shaking. I couldn't possibly be under his Genjutsu."

"So what happened," Tsuande asked.

Just then a member of the Hyuga crawled next to them and said, "Incredible,"

"What are you seeing," Tsunade asked.

"In the distance," the man said. "I can see the monster, the Jyubi, being pulled into a large piece of floating rock!"

"Floating rock," Gaara asked.

"Chibaku Tensei," Tsunade said. "But who…?"

"I can see Naruto," the Hyuga said. "And next to him..." The man gasped. "Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Sasuke," Shikamaru said. "Sasuke's helping Naruto!"

Gaara laughed. "Of course Sasuke is helping Naruto," he said. "It seems Naruto has done it again!"

"That's all well and good, but we need to get there to back them up," the Raikage yelled as he forced himself to his feet. He tried to run, took two steps and tumbled to his knees.

"First we need to get our strength back Raikage," Tsunade said. "Then we'll go."

_******Meanwhile******_

The Jyubi fought to get free but was slowly losing the battle. "No," Madara said. "I will not be denied my destiny. I will not fail. I….I…!" Looking down at the two men Madara thought, How? How could they? But, looking at Sasuke's eyes…..and Naruto's body….it's almost as if I'm looking at the reincarnation of….The Sage?"

"No," Madara yelled. "I will not be denied!" Madara suddenly released all the chakra he had and began to tear free. Just then he felt as if all strength had left him and the sealing increased in power. "What! How?" Instantly Madara realized it and looked at Sasuke. The tomoe in his left eye had also gone white.

"I used Izanagi to make you believe you can be sealed," Madara said. "I have changed your reality!"

Just then the two giant statues of Hashirama and Madara tore free from the mountainside and was pulled up. The Jyubi stopped as Madara looked at the stone face of Hashirama Senju. _Hashirama_, Madara thought. _Is this the power of the Will of Fire I have always mocked? Brother, was everything we sacrificed for nothing?_

Finally the Jyubi was completely sealed in the giant floating rock and began to rise into the sky. Sasuke and Naruto guided it higher and higher until it reached the moon and combined with it. Just as it did the chakra Sasuke and Naruto were using flared as it grew unstable and finally exploded knocking both men away. Naruto crashed to the ground and tumbled to stop as everything went black.

_******Meanwhile******_

Tsunade along with Raikage, Shikamaru, Temari, Gaara and Kankuro were sprinting through the forest towards Naruto. "Over there," Temari yelled as she pointed to a clearing. Everyone looked and saw someone struggling to pull themselves up onto a fallen tree.

"Sakura," Tsunade yelled as they ran up. Tsunade kneeled and caught her exhausted pupil as she collapsed into her arms. "Sakura are you ok?"

"Master," she said weakly. "I'm fine. I just need to rest."

"Where is Naruto," Shikamaru asked.

"He's up there," Sakura said. "Are you all who came?"

"We were the only one's with the strength to come," Gaara said. "Madara's Tsukuyomi took a lot out of the others."

"Master," she said with a smile. "He did it master. He did it. Naruto….he woke Sasuke up. Sasuke….he's Team Seven again. Naruto….did…it." Sakura fell asleep in Tsunade arms with a contented smile.

"We should keep moving," the Raikage said. "Have the medics come pick her up."

"No," Tsunade said with a smile. "We'll stay here and wait for Naruto."

"What," the Raikage said. "Why should we do that? Naruto could need…."

"Lord Raikage," Tsunade said. "If Naruto were in danger, Sakura would not be sleeping. She knows he'll be fine. So we must have the same faith."

_******Meanwhile******_

Naruto felt as though he were sinking in water and no matter how much he fought and struggled he could feel himself sinking deeper and deeper into its murky depths. It was if he were being pulled by some invisible force that he could not fight against. Just as he was about to give up hope and allow himself to be consumed by the darkness he felt a hand on his back and heard his mothers' comforting voice. "Naruto," she said.

Then he heard his father call his name as he felt his hand on his back. Then he heard Kakashi, Jiraiya, Nagato. So many voices. He could feel all of their hands on his back, propping him up, stopping his decent and then, he felt himself rising higher, higher. He could see light, and then…..

Naruto woke up with a start and gasped for air. He could see the blue sky above him and he could see the reformed moon floating away from the sun. The sun shone bright under the cloudless sky and he felt as if he had awoken on a new day. He groaned as he sat up. His body ached and his head was throbbing.

Looking about he saw Sasuke, propped up against a fallen rock. He sat in a pool of blood and his eyes were closed and his face pale. "S-Sasuke," Naruto said as he struggled to his feet and staggered over. Naruto fell to his knees in front of his friend and gritted his teeth.

Just then he heard someone's foot step and a half dead voice. "And so the last Uchiha passes from this world." Naruto's eyes grew wide as he slowly got to his feet. Looking back he saw what looked like a living corpse standing a few feet away. It had only a few strands of white hair on its head. Its skin was rotted and its eyes were yellowed and it smelled like death.

"Uchiha Madara," Naruto said in disbelief.

"Don't be so….surprised Namikaze," Madara said with a sickening smile on his face. "My will to live is everlasting."

Naruto calmed himself and glared at Madara. "You separated yourself from the Jyubi before it was sealed."

"Yes," Madara said. "It was painful. But I endured it. I always endure. I always survive. And in time I will find a way to retrieve that power and once again be complete."

"I'll stop you," Naruto said.

"No," Madara said as he pulled out a kunai. It was one of Naruto's kunai. "You will die here, just as the Sage of Six Paths died. Just as your mother and father died. Just as Hashirama died. They all died. Yet I remain. I will always remain."

Madara ran at Naruto with the kunai at the ready. "I will always remain. Because…..I am….immortal!"

Naruto grabbed Madara by the wrist with his left hand, stopping the kunai as it came an inch from his face. "No," Naruto said as he created a Rasengan with his right hand. "You're just old." Naruto plunged the Rasengan into Madara's chest blowing a massive hole through his chest. Madara had a stunned look on his face as his body began to break down and turn to ash. Naruto held his wrist until it too turned to ash in his hand and was blown away by the wind.

Naruto fell to his knees in exhaustion and looked at Sasuke who remained deathly still. "It's over," Naruto said as he looked into the sky. It was finally over. But there was no parade. There was no celebration. No laughter. There was only his fatigue, and the sound of his beating heart. He looked around at a land that was once lush and green now turned desolate and perhaps forever scarred. And he could feel a cold lonely wind that sounded like the whispers of all the lives lost.

End of Chapter: Thirty Eight

Next Time: The Seventh Hokage

"_All men dream; but not equally." Shikamaru said as he read from the scroll. "Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. I did this." Shikamaru closed the scroll with a satisfied smile and looked at Naruto. "Well," he asked. "What do you think?_

"_I think," Naruto said. "That I have no clue what that means. What was the point of reading to me a quote from some two hundred year old anonymous writer?"_

_Shikamaru's expression grew dark and foreboding as he looked at Naruto. "Naruto I know you better than most," he said. "I know what you're planning to do. You're planning to search for the truth. I can't say I blame you. But you have also heard the warnings. The moral of that quote was simple. Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it."_

**The Curse**…is coming.


	39. The Seventh Hokage

**INTRODUCTION**

Welcome back to the End of Innocence. As always I like to begin by stating I do not own Naruto. All hail Kishimoto-san!

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**THANK YOU**

A special thanks to those who reviewed my previous chapter: NarutoBigFreak; Shauni2420; Mudcake; happy everyday life; Velandir; Codegeauslulu; MyHikari; airnaruto45; stryker4narusaku; Kushina's Hell; ZeroTail29; charles cdv; FoxSage19; Ben Vilhaven; saveme57; The Flying Lion; Cloud Ex-SOLDIER; Samiibee; perfect beauty; imboredhelpmeh; AnonLegion19; tdwtfan1899; Raistlin99; Kisho-suru & KOSKAORU.

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**RESPONCES**

**NarutoBigFreak** - Thank you

**Shauni2420** - The truth is Sasuke is...hmmm...I...don't... this chapter for a final answer.

**Mudcake** - Well, I'm happy you've enjoyed this story so much. It's been a long, fun ride and its been a pleasure entertaining you. Read this chapter to read Sasuke's final fate.

**happy everyday life** - Yes, all jutsu does have a price and I'm glad you enjoyed Naruto's fight. Sakura has only just unlocked the full potential of her kekkei genkai I'm sure in the future she'll master it.

**Velandir** - Well, I thank you for the high praise. Yes i do feel said that this is coming to an end but I'm happy to have seen this whole thing through.

**Codegeasslulu** - Thanx. So am I.

**MyHikari** - Well, did you finish Guitar Hero or what? I'm glad you loved the Naruto/Sasuke team up. I really wanted to show that no matter what has happened that when they team up it is still pretty awesome and natural. So this final chapter will be released on your birthday huh? Interesting.

**airnaruto45** - Yep. And so is my story.

**stryker4narusaku** - I wanted Sakura to be more confident in herself and Naruto. I'm glad that has come across. Glad you've enjoyed the story.

**Kushina's Hell** - Glad I could make you're day darlin! ;) I hope this last chapter works out for you too.

**ZeroTail29** - Thanks.

**charles cdv** - Thank you.

**FoxSage19** - Thank you.

**Ben Vilhaven** - Well, I am so glad you found the chapter to be so entertaining. And who knows, maybe I have another surprise up my sleeve.

**saveme57** - LMAO! That story is so awesome! No worries dude, I'm not a great player either so I can relate. Glad you liked the chapter BTW.

**The Flying Lion** - Thanks.

**Cloud Ex-SOLDIER** - I wanted Sakura's role to be extremely important to the success of Team 7 while it wasn't a big one. My thinking was that it wouldn't be believavle if I had her actually fight as she had very little chakra left. I'm glad Sasuke's redemption came across well for you. The chapter would have fallen apart if it hadn't.

**Samibee** - Sasuke's final fate will be revealed in this final chapter. I'm happy you enjoyed the read.

**perfect beauty** - Heheheh! Read this chapter for a final reveal of Sasuke's fate.

**imboredhelpmeh** - Well, I'm glad you have such high praise. BTW, according to AnonLegion19 your review was #666. **OMINOUS!**

**AnonLegion19** - LMAO! Nice one. I'm glad you've been following the story and I too am sad to see it end. Many of you guys have been so great supporting this story and I'm gonna miss reading your thoughts and views. It's your enjoyment that has pushed me to finish this story or get a chapter out on time. And it's reactions such as yours that made me want to get a chapter out as early on Sunday as possible.

I hope you give canon sakura a greater chance. i believe this war is helping her to grow as a person and she is becoming more like the peron in my story. Glad you enjoyed.

**tdwtfan1899** - Me neither. This has been a long project for me. Kinda sad to see it end.

**Raistlin99** - I know. In my story Madara gave him EMS just to trick him into gaining the Rinnegan. However Sasuke can still go blind. By using Izanagi he has permanently blinded his MS. Once Rinnegan wears off he will lose his eye sight permanently. I always love hearing from someone who has read alot of fics, especially when that person is a NH fan. So does that mean I've made a NS fan out of you?

**TorrieB** - Lol! I've always wondered how my story would look if it were animated. But that's just a dream. Until I become a billionaire and pay for it myself. I'm happy to see you found my story so enjoyable.

**Kisho-suru** - Three days? DAMN! Even i don't think i could have done that! Glad you enjoyed it.

**KOSKAORU** - Actually I plan to re-write the first two books to remove any spelling errors and to make sure all 3 books have the same format. I'm glad you enjoyed the first Book. Sasuke looked sad at that moment because unlike the canon Naruto, my Naruto actually still cared about his former teammates. Sasuke's fate will be revealed in this final chapter and I'm glad you enjoyed the story.

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**MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR**

For every beginning, so too is there an end. And it seems we have finally come to the end of my story. Haveing to press the send on this final chapter is the happiest and saddest thing I've had to do as an author. But I'm proud of how things turned out. I'd like to take a moment to thank all of you who have read and enjoyed my story. _It's because of you, who placed me on thier author and story alerts, who placed me on your favorites list and wrote kind words of praise and encouragement that pushed me to finish every chapter on time. So thank you all from the bottom of my heart. Seriously._

Whew! Now that the mushy stuff is out of the way here is the final chapter of End of Innocence. I hope you guys enjoy as I have found that writing ending are difficult. BTW, after the chapter ends feel free to read previews of my upcoming work. Please remember the the approximate dates I have stated are subject to change. Also **please** remember to leave a little **review** of my work (hopefully I can still get to 700) and i will respond on my home page. Thanks!

**The following chapter is dedicated to MyHikari. It's her birthday today and I want this to be a gift to you. Hope you enjoy!**

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Naruto Chronicles of the Seventh

Book III: End of Innocence

Chapter XXXIX: The Seventh Hokage

Naruto remained quiet as he listed to low wind as it blew threw the now desolate valley. The battle with Madara had turned what was once a lush, picturesque portion of forest into an arid wasteland. It was as if someone had taken a massive section of the forest and turned it into a desert. Naruto took a deep breath as he could feel the hundreds, perhaps thousands of lives destroyed by Madara and his machinations surround him.

It was as if the wind itself was in fact a collective sigh as all these people could finally rest in peace, knowing that their deaths were no longer in vain. Naruto looked up and shaded his eyes from the sun as it shown down upon him from a cloudless sky. "Mother, father," he whispered. "It's done."

Just then he heard a weak laugh come from his right. Looking over he saw Sasuke's bloodied and pale body sitting propped against a half broken tree. All the leaves had been burnt away and it was snapped nearly cleanly in half. At first Naruto swore he was just hearing thing when he saw Sasuke's hands move and his eyes open. A small smile was on his face. "Sasuke," Naruto said. "Sasuke!" Naruto crawled over to Sasuke and kneeled next to him. "Sasuke," he yelled.

"Hey dumbass, you trying to deafen me," Sasuke asked weakly. "Quit calling…my name."

"Right," Naruto said happily. For a brief moment there was silence between the two. There was so much Naruto wanted to say, yet the words wouldn't come.

"So," Sasuke said. "Did….we get him?"

"Yes," Naruto said. "We got him. Madara is dead."

"And the moon," Sasuke asked. "Has the eclipse ended?"

"Yes," Naruto said. "But wait, can't you tell?"

"Nope," Sasuke said. "I….can't see Naruto. Izanagi remember?"

Naruto remembered. Sasuke used it on Madara and before that, he used it to save his life. "Was that the technique you were saving to use against me," Naruto asked.

Sasuke nodded. "I forced Karin to use some of Hashirama's DNA I had stolen from Madara on me," Sasuke said. "I was prepared to sacrifice one of my eyes to destroy you. Didn't expect to use it twice. Ahh, but I guess it's just as well."

Naruto gritted his teeth. "We need to get you medical attention," Naruto said as he looked around. _Damn it_, he thought_. If only I had better medical training. I can't heal him. And I don't have the chakra left to teleport myself let alone the two of us._ "Sasuke," Naruto said as he reached out to pick him up. "C'mon, if we hurry we can…"

Sasuke brushed away his hand. "No, Naruto," Sasuke said. "You know I don't have the time. It's….over."

"No," Naruto yelled. "We can still do something! Don't give up! We…!"

"Naruto," Sasuke said with a smile. "It's ok. What I've learned is that a man must sometimes accept reality instead of creating a false one. And I have accepted my reality."

Naruto gritted his teeth and clenched his fist in frustration. "This…isn't fair," he said as he choked on his tears. "After all this time, Sakura-chan and I have fought to bring you back. For it…to end…like this. DAMN IT!"

"Actually….it's ok," Sasuke said. "To be honest, I feel as if a heavy burden has been taken off my shoulders. I'm just glad…..that at the end…..I was able to do something for this world. It was the least I could do. At least I left behind a little something. A little mark of good that the Uchiha name can be proud of. At least now I can die with fewer regrets."

Naruto took a deep breath and then said some words to Sasuke he never would have dreamed he'd hear. Words that, for the first time in years, brought tears to his eyes. "A-Are you sure," Sasuke asked. "Are you…..certain?"

Naruto nodded with a smile. Sasuke bit his lip as he looked up into the sky. He could feel the tears running down his face. "Then there is another regret I have now. That I can't see the future of the Uchiha." Sasuke reached out and grasped for Naruto, he was able to clench his arm. Naruto was momentarily shocked at how cold his friend felt. "Naruto," Sasuke said. "You have to promise me…swear to me…."

Naruto placed his hand on top of Sasuke's reassuringly and said "You don't even need to ask, Sasuke."

Sasuke closed his eyes and smiled. Naruto looked upon his dying friend, his whole body trembling. All his memories of his time with Sasuke danced in his head. He could suddenly remember every smile, every argument, every fight. "Sasuke," Naruto said as he lost all composure. "I wish I could do something! Damn it! We were supposed to live on together! To be Team Seven again! Why…why….?"

To Naruto's surprise Sasuke raised his bloody hand up and using two fingers poked him in his forehead right between the eyes. The blood that was on his fingers trickled down Naruto's face and mingled with his tears. With a smile on his face Sasuke said, "I'm sorry little brother. Maybe next time."

Naruto stared dumbfounded at Sasuke for a moment before the tears again began to flow. "Sasuke…..you…"

"Heh," Sasuke said as he closed his eyes. His hand began to slip and fall. "Its funny…..I…..feel…better….already…."Sasuke's hand fell from Naruto's face and Naruto caught it in mid air. Sasuke's hand was cold and lifeless. He looked at Sasuke's smiling face and then slowly placed his hand down on his chest. He could feel no heart beat or breathing. For what seemed like forever Naruto remained kneeling over his fallen friend, his rival…..his brother. And he knew that there was now a hole in his heart that could never be filled. Uchiha Sasuke was gone.

_******Some time later******_

Sakura's eyes slowly opened as she looked around. "She's awake," she heard someone say excitedly. As her vision cleared the first face she saw was of her master Tsunade, smiling down on her. "Master," she said.

"Hello Sakura," she said as she helped her sit up. "You really gave me a bit of a scare there. You pushed your body and chakra to he brink."

Sakura gasped as she looked around to see hundreds of ninja surrounding her. Many were smiling at her. "What's going on," she asked.

"You didn't think we'd leave you and Naruto to fight alone did you," Neji said as he stood nearby. Looking about, Sakura also saw Shino, Shikamaru, Ino, Kiba, Konohamaru, Gaara, Temari, Omoi, Karui, The Raikage and Lady Konan. They were all standing about as if waiting.

"Madara's technique hit us all pretty hard," Shikamaru said. "But once we were able to shake the effects we rushed right over."

"What are you all doing then," Sakura asked.

"We're waiting of course," Ino said as she walked up and kneeled next to Sakura. "We're waiting for Naruto. He did it Sakura. He beat that damned monster."

Sakura smiled and waited contentedly as Ino continued heeling her. A few more minutes passed when the Raikage said impatiently, "Enough of this! Waiting around here like a bunch of damned school girls isn't what I'm about! You fools can do that if you like but I'm headed down there to see what's going on!"

"Look," a Neji yelled and pointed into the evening mist. Just then everyone saw the silhouette of a man come into view and a moment later Naruto staggered out of the mist and collapsed to his knees in exhaustion.

"Naruto," Kiba yelled as he and everyone began to run over to him. Ino helped Sakura to her feet and braced her as they made their way over. Tsunade was kneeling next to Naruto as he fought to catch his breath. People were crying in happiness and everyone was thanking Naruto and saying how they believed in him.

Shikamaru smiled as he looked at his friend. "Damn I can't believe he did it," he said. "It'll be impossible to keep his ego in check now. What do you think Temari?" Shikamaru looked over to see Temari was blushing was trying to hide as she wiped her eyes. "Were you crying," Shikamaru asked.

"No I wasn't," Temari yelled defensively. "I just have something in my eye, that's all!" Shikamaru smiled but chose to say nothing.

Tsunade was kneeling behind Naruto and had her hands on his back as she healed his wounds. Slowly the crowd parted and Sakura, was guided through by Ino. Tsunade got to her feet, smiled and nodded at Sakura as she stepped back. Ino gently helped Sakura kneel in front of Naruto.

Solemnly Naruto held out his clenched hand and opened it, revealing a bloodied blue forehead protector. His voice cracking Naruto seemed on the verge of tears as he said, "I-I'm sorry Sakura-chan. I-I failed to bring him back. I…."

Naruto's eyes grew wide when he felt Sakura's hand enclose around his as they held the headband together. Looking up he was surprised to see her smiling at him. "You didn't fail Naruto," she said. "He's with us. He's here with us forever." Naruto and Sakura closed their eyes in silent prayer and Naruto swore he could feel Sasuke there between them, hugging them, and they both knew he was smiling with them. They were Team Seven. Now and forever.

After a few moments Naruto and Sakura opened their eyes and Naruto looked at all of the smiling faces that surrounded them. "Everyone," he said "Thank you for all of your efforts in this. Where is Danzo? He needs to answer for….."

Tsunade raised her hand and said, "There is no need. Danzo has already paid a price it seems."

"What are you talking about," Naruto asked.

"We received word from Konoha," Shikamaru said. "Danzo's body was found at the exit of one of the escape tunnels. His body was horribly mutilated. His right arm and eye were missing, as well as all of his guards slaughtered. They're trying to locate any suspects but at this time, with the war and all, it's hard to figure who did this."

"No matter," The Raikage yelled. "That conniving bastard got what was coming to him! Imagine, associating with Akatsuki like that! Disgraceful!"

"Hmm," Naruto said as he considered things. Then with a smile he looked at Tsunade and said, "Well Granny, it looks like you can take over again and get this village back to where it belongs. You'll have my support of course!"

Tsunade smiled and then gave a deep sigh. "Yep, I have to admit becoming Hokage again has been something I wanted," she said. "But if there is one thing this war has taught me is that I'm to old to running after you young brats anymore. I think retirement is something I can't give up."

"B-But who will be Hokage," Naruto asked with a look of concern on his face.

"Who indeed," Tsunade said with a smile. Suddenly the smile disappeared as she looked at him sternly. "Namikaze Naruto….rise." Before he could answer Naruto felt someone grab him under his arm to lift him. It was Shikamaru who was looking at Tsunade. Shikamaru lifted Naruto to his feet. "After speaking with the other elders of the village and receiving a vote of confidence from the other Kage in attendance, we have decided that you, Namikaze Naruto will be the Seventh Hokage of Konoha. Do you accept the position?"

Naruto looked at Tsunade slack-jawed. He looked around at the all of the smiling faces. All of the friends he'd made along the way. Gaara was smiling and nodded his approval, as did the Raikage, Konan, Shikamaru, Choji, Neji, Ino and Shino. Looking down, Naruto saw Sakura was crying. He bent down and helped her to her feet. "I'm okay Naruto," she said. "I'm just so….happy. This is it. The dream you've held on to for so many years. I'm just so proud of you."

"Well," Tsunade said. "Do you accept?"

With tears in his eyes Naruto nodded. "Yes," he said. "I accept."

"Good," Tsunade said as she wiped a tear from her eye. "Because you didn't really have a choice kiddo." Tsunade then turned to face the crowd and said, "Let it be known to all that as of tomorrow, Namikaze Naruto is the Seventh Hokage of Konohagakure!"

"Yatta," Kiba yelled as cheers rang through the valley. The Seventh Hokage, Konoha's Shield, has been chosen.

_******Several Days Later – Just Before Dawn******_

Naruto stood on the small rise looking down at the thousands of pairs of eyes that looked back in rapt attention. On Naruto's right was Tsunade and Gaara. On his left was Konan, Ao representing Kirigakure and the Raikage. And four of the Feudal Lords stood next to them.

The thousands that watched them consisted of citizens of Konoha and their shinobi, as well as the joint Alliance Shinobi of Suna, Kumo and Ame. Even the civilians from all of the villages and surrounding villages came out to see this. It was, as they all believed, a turning point in the world. This was a moment in time that would forever stay with them. A moment that years from now they would tell their grand children about in front of a roaring fire. This was a moment of great historical significance. They all knew it. They could all feel it. So despite the thousands that were in attendance, everyone remained so quiet you could here a pin drop.

This was something the older generations never thought they would ever see; the leaders of four of the five Great Villages standing united together to address an equally united world. And among them was the Konan, the self proclaimed ArashiKage. There were whispers of rumors that the four other great nations were going to recognize Amegakure as a Great Nation, despite its size, and thus recognize Konan as a Kage. This was a movement being pushed by Namikaze Naruto, the newly elected Seventh Hokage and hero of the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Namikaze Naruto, who everyone had come to hear speak. Oh, they all wanted to hear what everyone else had to say but it was Naruto the people talked about excitedly. It was Naruto who people fought to get a better view of. Naruto's name was quickly becoming legend. Like a flame quickly spreading across a dry forest, Naruto's name and legend grew. In all parts of the world Naruto was the eight foot tall hero of the free world who single handedly defeated a demon with but a finger and smile.

Children played games pretending to be Naruto fighting demonic enemies. Old men and women referred to him as the new Sage of the world. Women gushed over his beautiful blue eyes and golden blond hair. No one, it seemed could get enough of talking about or listening to stories of Naruto, The Crimson Tornado of Konoha.

Everyone had already addressed the crowd and they were all waiting for Naruto, who it had been agreed, would speak last. After his speech there would be a moment of prayer and then celebration. A celebration that would engulf all five countries. This entire week, as agreed, would be a national holiday for prayer, remembrance and celebration from this day forth.

Naruto, dressed in a pair of black pants with a red stripe on each pant leg, a red and black shirt and a short sleeved, red coat with black flames at the edge. Written vertically down the back of the coat was the words "Seventh Hokage". And just as the other Kages he wore the white and red hat on his head.

Taking a deep breath Naruto took a step forward and looked at all the faces looking at him. All of his friends were there. Standing in front was Sakura and Iruka, followed by Ino, Neji, Hinata, Sai, Kiba, Shino, Choji, Shikamaru, Temari, Kankuro, Konohamaru, Moegi, Guy, Kurenai, Yamato, Omoi, Karui, Darui, Shikaku and Yoshino Nara, Inoichi, Choza, Ayame of Ichiraku Ramen, Anko, Ozuru, Ibiki and so many more.

"Peace," Naruto said. "For generations it's always been just a dream. Something time and again many have fought and died for. For centuries mankind has asked how does a person attain peace. Years ago my master once told me that he believed peace could only be attained when people are able to truly understand each other. But how do two people, from different worlds, come to truly understand one another?"

"A few years back Konoha was attacked by an Akatsuki member by the name of Pain. In time I came to learn that Nagato, the ninja who called himself Pain, was my brother disciple. He believed that the way for people to understand each other was through shared pain. And now, years later, I believe they were both right."

"I have come to believe that the truest way to piece is for people to not just understand each other. Because understanding alone does not lead to peace. Nor is the threat of feeling pain the way to peace. I believe that Nagato focused on the wrong thing. He believed that if we all feared the horrors of our past that we would reach peace. But in reality, the path to peace is fighting for the hope of our future. Working together for that goal is what leads to peace."

"I believe peace comes from people understanding each other through the struggle of fighting for hope. To fight for peace, for the hope of peace, that is something we all know all to well. Look around you, what do you see? Do you see people from Suna, from Konoha, from Kumo? I don't. Right here today I see one people. People who all live and breathe. People who all know fear, sorrow and joy. People who fought side by side for the hope of a brighter future for themselves, for their friends, for their brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers. We fought for our children and our children's children. And we will always fight for that purpose. That is what binds humanity."

"For the last three days I have heard many of you call me a hero. I have heard you call me a legend. I am no hero. I am no legend. You are not heroes. You are not legends." Sweeping his hand behind him Naruto said, "They are the heroes. They are the legends. Because despite their fears, despite their weaknesses, they fought, bled and died, not just for their village, but for us all. They sacrificed and gave their all for the hope of the future we would bring. Our enemy, Madara of the Akatsuki, believed that he would bring about a New Dawn for this world. And I believe he was right. Because now we stand on the precipice of a fundamental change for this world. But only if we all make the effort to reach for it."

"If we never forget the sacrifices our brothers and sisters made for our future," Naruto said. "Then we are on the path to peace. If we live our lives dedicated to honoring the sacrifices these heroes made, then we are on the path to peace. If we never forget, if we dedicate ourselves to bring about the bright future they died to protect, then we are on the path to peace. And if we maintain that belief, and pass that belief on to all those we meet in this world regardless of where they come from, the color of their skin or the religion they believe, then we will truly understand each others hearts, and will find peace."

Naruto turned and looked at the large white marble stone that was carved into a perfect block. It was about eight feet high and six feet wide. On it was marked an inscription detailing the name of the location and just to the left was stairs heading down into a large canyon. It was the location of his final battle with Madara. It was where Sasuke died. Throughout the entire canyon there were thousands of fresh graves. On each headstone was inscribed two kanji. The first read "shinobi", indicating that they were all of the Allied Force. The second kanji on each gravestone highlighted which village the person was from. Below the Kanji was the person's name and the statement that read, "Hero Who Died For Peace."

Looking over the massive cemetery, Naruto sighed and said, "From this day on, this place, that was once known as the Valley of the End will now be known as the Valley of Heroes. And on this week, every year people from all over the world can come here to pay their respects to those who gave their lives fighting for freedom, for peace, for hope." Looking back Naruto said, "Never forget. Please, let us all give a prayer for our brothers and sisters."

Everyone bowed their heads and closed their eyes as they gave a private prayer and thank you to all those who had given their lives. For what seemed an eternity Naruto thought of all of the smiling faces that he had seen in his brief moment in the other world. _Mother, Father, Kakashi-sensei, Ero-sennin, Fukasaku-sensei, Lee, Nagato, I promise you I will never forget the sacrifice you made and for what you made it for_, Naruto thought. _I will dedicate all that I am to achieving the peace you died to help us achieve. This I promise you._

Just then Naruto felt someone's hand slip into his own. Opening his eyes he saw Sakura standing next to him holding his hand, her eyes closed in prayer. Naruto gave her hand a little squeeze as he saw the sun rising over the horizon. It was a new day, a new era, a new dawn.

_******Konoha – Office of the Hokage – Several Days Later – Midday******_

The celebrations lasted for many days and nights but finally had stopped. The people from Kumo, Ame and Suna had begun to return to their homes. The music had stopped playing and the seemingly endless feasting had come to an end. The people of Konoha began to rebuild and by order of the Hokage, to tear down their militaristic homes and walls and return Konoha to what it once was, the warm and inviting village of years gone by.

Gone was the grey oppressive feel of the village. Now there was happiness, now there was warmth. Fear of the unknown had been replaced with the optimism of the undiscovered. Naruto sat behind his desk with a mountain of paper work sitting in front of him. He sighed deeply as he rested his head on one hand. "Why didn't someone tell me that being Hokage meant being a damned pencil pusher," he said.

Naruto got up and went to the window behind his desk and looked outside. He could see children playing and men working on repairing the buildings and roads. People were happily talking or simply greeting each other as they went on their way. Just then Naruto heard a knock on the door. "Come in," he said.

The door opened and Shikamaru entered. "Hey," he said as he walked in. "Just wanted to say good bye you know."

Naruto took a deep breath and smiled as he turned to face his friend. "So, you're ready to go then," he said. "Are you sure about this?"

Shikamaru nodded. "Hmm-mmm," he said. "This is something I've been thinking a long time about. It was something I wanted to do. But I couldn't leave because I'd be too worried about the future of Konoha. But with you here now, I feel calm."

Naruto shook his head as he smiled and said, "I never thought someone like you would volunteer to join the Twelve Guardian Ninja."

Shikamaru smiled and said, "I know. I've never really been the type to volunteer for troublesome work like that." Shikamaru looked at the loincloth he had recently placed around his waist. It had the kanji symbol for fire, identifying him as a member of the Twelve Guardians. "But, Asuma-sensei said that joining the Twelve Guardians allowed him to really see the world and helped make him into the ninja he became. He said it helped him become stronger and wiser and a better ninja for Konoha. So, I guess it's what I should do."

Naruto sighed and said, "A four year commitment is a long time. Things won't be the same with you gone."

Shikamaru laughed. "Something tells me you'll keep things rather interesting while I'm away," he said.

"By the way, what did Temari say about that," Naruto said. "I'm sure she won't be happy with having to wait four more years for you to marry her."

"Tch," Shikamaru said. "As if I'd be afraid of what a woman would have to say. I'm a man and I make my own decisions. Temari will just have to understand."

Naruto looked at Shikamaru suspiciously and said, "You didn't tell her did you?"

"Nope," Shikamaru said with a smile. "I gave her a letter and asked her not read it until she got home. By the time she does I'll be safe behind the Daimyo's castle." Both men laughed and then Shikamaru asked, "So how are things with you and Sakura?"

"We've decided to take things slowly for now," Naruto said with a smile.

"Ha, good luck with that," Shikamaru said.

"What's that supposed to mean," Naruto asked as he picked up a glass of water from his desk and began to drink.

"Naruto," Shikamaru said. "Do you know where Neji is right now?" Naruto shook his head. "Neither do I," Shikamaru answered. "No one's seen the man since he and Ino began planning their wedding. Ino has been driving him so ragged that all he can do is sleep when he is able to sneak away. It's pretty pathetic."

"So what does that have to do with me," Naruto asked as he took another sip.

Shikamaru sighed and said, "Have you forgotten how fiercely competitive Sakura and Ino are? Especially when it comes to love? What do you think Sakura's reaction will be when she's sitting watching Ino get married before her?"

Naruto began choking on his water and spat it out as the vision of that moment horrified him. He could just envision Ino sticking her tongue out and taunting Sakura, angering her to the point where she painfully snapped him up by the neck and dragged him up the isle just so she could get married at the same time as Ino. Naruto turned pale and his face was lifeless like a zombie as he thought of that possibility. "The horror," he mumbled as he gently rubbed his neck as though it was in pain.

"You're a dead man walking," Shikamaru said gleefully.

Naruto wiped the sweat from his forehead and quickly drank up the remaining water. "So how are things as Hokage," Shikamaru asked.

"Fine," Naruto said. "Gaara volunteered to lead some Alliance forces into Amegakure to help Konan stabilize the country. And the Raikage, through some prodding, agreed to escort Ao to Kirigakure to free the Mizukage and get things back in order. Hopefully with the help of your father we can get that country up and running soon."

"As for here," Naruto continued. "Sakura is busy leading the rebuilding of the medical facilities. But she has Moegi and that kid Ozuru helping her out. We had a lot of injured including the remnants of Danzo's ROOT."

"How are things going with ferreting out the last of that organization," Shikamaru said.

"Difficult," Naruto said. "Sai has been leading the effort to find them but many of the members remained masked at all times. And we haven't been able to find Danzo's notes regarding the group. But Sai is capable. He's formed a small task force including Shino, Kiba and Hinata to help him."

"Speaking of which, have you noticed how much time Hinata and Sai have been spending together," Shikamaru asked. "What's going on there?"

"Nothing I think," Naruto said as he shrugged. "They seem like friends to me. Anyway, while we were checking out ROOT headquarters we found the cells where they kept young children who were to become members. There were about fifteen little children there. Choji has offered to help them. He's taken the lead on trying to rehabilitate them. He's good with kids so I think it was a good choice."

Shikamaru folded his arms and thought things over and after a moment he smiled and said, "Like I said, you've got things under control." Shikamaru lifted his back pack and threw it over his shoulders and said, "Walk me out?"

The two men walked in silence until they reached the main gates that Naruto had immediately ordered re-opened to all. "Hey I have one question," Shikamaru said as he stuck out his hand. "When the ninja tasked to retrieve the bodies of the fallen ninja went out to where you and Sasuke fought Madara, they said they couldn't find Sasuke's body anywhere. Any idea what happened to it?"

"Well," Naruto said with a little smile. "We were close to the river. Perhaps his body was swept away."

With a knowing smile Shikamaru said, "Yeah, perhaps." Shikamaru looked up at the blue sky and then back at the village he was about to leave behind. Extending his hand he said, "Well, this is it."

Naruto shook Shikamaru's hand and said, "Take care Shikamaru. See you in four years."

"Right," Shikamaru said and he turned to leave. He walked a few steps when someone leapt out of the bushes, high in the sky and came crashing down on him. "What the hell," Shikamaru yelled when he finally saw the pissed off face of Temari as she grabbed him by the collar.

"Rrrrraagghh! How dare you make a four year commitment without telling me," Temari screamed as she shook Shikamaru violently. "Have you any idea how long a time that is! Do you expect me to wait forever! You dumb asshole! Why should I have to wait four years for you to marry me! Do you have any clue how man men are beating down my door for my hand! You should be grateful I'm even interested in a lazy good for nothing like you! After all the crap you've put me through and you do something like this! I should have Gaara come here and shove sand up your ass!"

Terrified, Shikamaru looked over to Naruto and said, "Umm a little help here Naruto?" To Shikamaru's amazement an equally fearful Naruto was slowly turning and sneaking away. "Naruto," Shikamaru yelled as Naruto ran. "Naruto! Naruto, help me out! Naruto? Naaaaaruuuuutooooo!"

_******Several Months Later******_

Naruto stood in the middle of the dense forest in a desolate area. He silently prayed as he stood before the lone grave. When he heard the rustle of leaves behind him he opened his eyes but did not turn around. "Do you know how dangerous it is to follow the Hokage," he said. "You could get hurt Karin."

Out of the bushes Karin, wearing a black cloak, stepped out. "You've been following me for the last few weeks," Naruto said. "You were even in the crowd during my speech."

"If you knew that why didn't you do anything," Karin asked. "Why would you come here alone? Are you really that arrogant?"

"Something tells me the reason you followed me all this time was because you were hoping I'd lead you here," Naruto said as he looked down at the unmarked grave. "I just decided that I should reward you for your efforts."

Karin gritted her teeth as her hands began to shake. She clenched her fists as she glared at Naruto. "Why would you do that," she asked. "Why would you do anything for me!"

Naruto sighed as he looked up at the sky. The sun was beginning to fade and he could see the feint light from a few stars. "I think I did it because you deserved to be here at least once."

"How would you know what I deserve," Karin yelled with tears in her eyes. "I-I want to kill you so bad it hurts! Just like back then! But you spared me then! Just like you're doing now! Why! Why!"

"Because I could see the despair in your heart then," Naruto said. "Just like I do now. And that despair you feel is because you think you failed to reach him, you allow it to become hate. And you are so desperate to rid yourself of it that you look to me."

Karin remained silent as she could feel all the tension leave her body. _Namikaze Naruto_, she thought as she looked at Naruto. _You're chakra gives off as much light as Sasuke gave off darkness And yet, you so easily understood Sasuke. I think I understand now._

"Besides," Naruto said. "Do you really think I could easily kill a woman who is pregnant?" Karin gasped and placed her hand on her stomach. It had already been several months and there was a small bump. "The Uchiha clan wasn't cursed by destiny you know," Naruto said. "They simply could not let go of the pain of the past. They allowed it to shape their future and because they lacked the will to break the cycle they instead claimed it to be fate. That was Sasuke's mistake too."

"But Sasuke didn't learn until the very end what I have known for so long," Naruto said. "Fate is not inescapable. Fate….is what you make it."

Naruto looked back for the first time to Karin. There was a stern look in his eyes as he looked at her. "The fate of the Uchiha is now in your hands Karin. Choose wisely." Karin stared at Naruto in silence as she listened to those words that she knew acted as both a guide and a warning.

Naruto turned and began to leave when he said, "Take as much time as you need, but then I would suggest, for your own safety, that you leave the Land of Fire and never return."

"He loved you like a brother you know," Karin said causing Naruto to stop in his tracks. "I could see it in his eyes and hear it in his voice when the topic was you. No matter how hard he tried to convince himself. No matter how hard he tried to hide it, he loved you. He was able to separate every bond at a whim. But you? You were something else. I think in the end that's why I hated you. I was jealous of that. You could reach him in way no one could. He knew it. And that's why he hated you so much."

Naruto lowered his head and took a deep mournful sigh and looked at the gravestone. "If it's any consolation you should know that I was able to tell him about you at the end," Naruto said. "And he was happy. He was truly happy. I think all his hopes and dreams for the future went into that child at that moment."

"What….you," Karin said as tears began to flow from her eyes. She looked at the gravestone and said, "Naruto-kun…thank you…thank you so much."

Naruto looked back at her and smiled and said, "Don't underestimate yourself Karin. I wasn't the only one to reach him." Karin walked over to the grave and fell to her knees and cried openly as Naruto walked away with the sound of her grief echoing into the evening sky.

_******Many Years Later******_

Naruto stood on the roof of the Hokage mansion overlooking Konoha. As he always did he marveled at the sheer size of the village. He could remember as a youth when he could see the outer limits of the village from here. Now, despite the fact that the mansion had been rebuilt to be even taller he couldn't see the edge of the village. With the unprecedented peace had come a vast economic growth for the village.

But such prosperity was not easily attained. It was on days like this that he would recall all of the trials and tribulations he had to endure. The battles that had to be won. Even after becoming Hokage so many years ago things did not become any easier. Battles were fought. Enemies had to be defeated. Friends had to be buried.

Naruto took a deep breath of the crisp morning air as he thought of all the friends, no…the family he had lost over the years and it saddened him. Yet he knew they were all with him, guiding him, reminding him of why he wakes up every morning and of why he must remain forever vigilant.

Just then Naruto heard someone land on the ground behind him. Looking back he saw it was a young girl, no more than thirteen years old, wearing the standard ninja uniform with a flak jacket. She wore a forehead protector strapped around her left arm. She had short blonde hair, green eyes and fair skin. Her uniform was haggard and she appeared to be exhausted. Her hair was messy and she had scratches on her arms. She looked as though she's been in a prolonged fight.

Naruto looked away and down to the courtyard far below where he could see the people walking about. It was the first few people of the day and the first signs of another busy day in Konoha. "So you're back," Naruto said.

"Of course I am," the young girl said. "As if I'd have trouble with such a simple mission!"

"Simple huh," Naruto asked. "If it was so simple why did it take you and your brother all night? Far too long in my opinion for a D rank mission."

Clearly annoyed the girl said, "Tch! That's because Kenshin was holding me back! He'd rather have his nose buried in a book than to finish a mission! Besides what kind of mission was that anyway! Konohamaru-sensei shouldn't accept missions to find some old ladies cat! Team Seven is way too awesome for such a lame mission! We should be given B rank missions at least!"

Naruto sighed and turned to face the girl and said, "Kimiko, you and your brother only recently became Genin. I'm sure Konohamaru has told you that you are only authorized for D rank missions, no acceptions!"

"Tch," Kimiko said as she gritted her teeth. Leaping to her feet, Kimiko pointed at Naruto and yelled, "You're just jealous that I'm stronger than you were at my age! No matter what you do I will surpass you and become Hokage, Dattebane!" Just then Sakura opened the door leading back inside and walked out. Kimiko turned and walked away in a huff leaving the stunned Naruto looking on. As she walked away Naruto smiled to himself.

As Kimiko passed Sakura she stopped and said, "Can you please talk to him Mom?"

Sakura smiled and said, "I'll see what I can do. You should go pick up your little brother and take him to school."

"What," Kimiko said. "I'm exhausted! Why can't you make Ken do it!"

"What was that," Sakura asked as a look of pure doom spread across her face. Kimiko could see the vein pop out on Sakura's forehead and it suddenly seemed as though her mother were ten feet tall towering over her.

"Ummm I meant, I'm on my way mom," Kimiko said with a nervous smile before running through the door.

"Geez," Naruto said as he scratched the back of his head. "What did I do to deserve such a hard headed little girl?"

Sakura walked up to Naruto and laughed. "Are you kidding," she asked. "as bad as you were as a kid this is divine punishment. Besides, you should be grateful she's the only one that acts like that. Imagine if both the twins were so rebellious!"

Naruto laughed and said, "I guess you have a point!"

"Anyway," Sakura said, "I came up here to get you. You have a meeting to get to and Shikamaru, Hinata, Sai and Choji don't have all day."

"Aaah," Naruto said as he looked completely annoyed. "Another meeting so early? What's this meeting about? Is it a meeting about our last meeting, or a meeting about this afternoons meeting! No wait, is this the meeting about the meeting we had last month which was a meeting about the meeting we're supposed to have next week?" Naruto threw his hands up and yelled, "God I am so sick of meetings!"

Sakura wrapped her arms around Naruto and hugged him. "This was the life you always wanted right, Lord Hokage?"

Naruto took a deep breath and smiled as he quickly calmed down. It still amazed him how easily she could do that even after all these years. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Dattabayo," he said as he kissed her with the sun rising over the horizon.

******Fin******

* * *

And that's it. Hope you enjoyed the story. Now, please continue reading for previews of some of my upcoming works. Feel free to let me know what you think of them. Thanks.

* * *

Realizing he only had moments before the demon was free, Ichigo reached for the door and opened it. Which took him to the outside courtyard where it was now raining steadily. "Of course," Ichigo said as he ran out towards the middle of the darkened courtyard.

As he reached the center of the courtyard Ichigo found that he was completely turned around with no idea of which direction to go in. There were no lights to help him and the increasingly hard down pour began to further limit how far ahead he could see. Ichigo saw the faint outline of another building and quickly decided to head there as he heard the increasingly familiar howl of the demon.

Shit, Ichigo thought as he continued to run. _It sounds like that son of a bitch has gotten free and is pissed. I gotta move! I'm way too exposed out here!_ Ichigo ran at the door and slammed into it with all his might. Despite hearing it crack in places it didn't break open. Several minutes ago he had ran up to this building only to find that it too was another abandoned warehouse.

Damn, he thought to himself as he leaned on the door. _It feels like there's something up against the door. Shit, how do I get in?_

In the distance Ichigo heard the demon howl and could tell it was getting closer_. Shit_, he thought_, so much for losing that thing out here. I'd better keep moving. _Ichigo ran along the side of the building looking for a window or door he could use. Yet he could see no doors and all the windows were too high up to jump to. Again he heard the howl of the demon and now he could hear it's movements as it got closer and closer.

As Ichigo desperately turned the corner he saw what he thought was his salvation: a fire escape with the ladder down. Ichigo sprinted towards the ladder and clambered up as quickly as he could. Once he reached the first landing he could hear the demon as it came around the corner.

Without breaking its stride the demon leapt up, jaws open, and clenched onto the metal bars of the first landing and ripped it down as it tumbled back to the ground. Ichigo fell back and held on to what was left of the railing then quickly scrambled up the steps to the second landing of the fire escape.

The beast looked up and growled before again attempting to leap up and drag down the entire structure. Ichigo kept running up the escape as fast as he could until finally he reached the top. Just as he was about to get to the roof the demon leapt to very top and clung to the side of the escape. It lunged forward and its fangs just caught hold of Ichigo's shirt, ripping a piece off it as Ichigo pulled free.

Ichigo tumbled forward and rolled before turning to see the demon struggling to get to the top of the escape when he heard the escape lurch and give way under the demons weight. The demon then tumbled eight stories, crashing through the fire escape as it fell, until it landed on the unforgiving concrete below.

My name is Ichigo Kurosaki, up until a few days ago I lived what you'd consider a normal life. I had loving parents and two great little sisters. I had a girlfriend and some great friends. One night my world was torn apart when all the people I cared for were killed right in front of my eyes. They were killed by demons. Now I find myself in a world I never imagined existed. A world of demons where death can happen at any time. But this is the world I need to be in. Because this is the world where I will find answers. I will find the truth. Even if that truth comes….at the tip…of my blade.

Blade of the Shinigami

Story Type: Ongoing bi-weekly series

Genre: Action, adventure, mystery, angst, drama, comedy, horror.

Rated: M

Contains: Graffic Violence; graffic language; sex; drug use.

Release date: November 2011

* * *

Naruto Namikaze and Sakura Haruno have experienced many hardships in their lives. But soon they'll have to face the greatest challenge they've ever faced….their wedding day. Can they finally say I do? Or does fate have something else in store for this star crossed couple?

Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh: The Lost Chapter

The Wedding

Story Type: One Shot

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Couples: Shikatem and Narusaku

Rated: K

Contains: Nothing bad.

Release Date: January 2012

* * *

Many millennia ago, the elder gods created the Six Realms of Existence. There were Earth Realm, Nether Realm, Outworld, Seido, The Realm of Chaos and Edenia. The Elder Gods then decreed that the denizens of one realm could only conquer another realm by defeating the defending realm's greatest warriors in ten consecutive tournaments.

Five hundred years ago, Danzo warrior of Outworld was sent to Earth Realm in order to conquer it. Using the dark warriors of Outworld at his disposal, Danzo has won nine consecutive tournaments. Now the final tournament is at hand and a small group of Earths greatest warriors must fight to save our world from torment and death.

Many will be called. Few will survive. But only one will become champion of….

MORTAL KOMBAT!

Story Type: 5 part mini series

Genre: Action, Adventure, Romance

Rated: M

Contains: Violence, Adult language, Sexual situations.

Release Date: April 2013

* * *

_Raven gulped hard as he looked at the small device that was slowly ticking down to zero. "Are you sure you know what you're doing Fox," he said._

Fox smiled confidently and said, "Of course I do! I do this all the time!

Raven looked at FoxMan unconvincingly. Yeah right, he thought. Neither one of us had ever seen a device like this before.

"By my calculations if I cut the red wire that should stop the countdown," FoxMan said.

"Your calculations," Raven asked. "What method of calculations did you use?"

"Well," FaxMan said as he looked at the wires. "These wires are green. Green means go. This wire is red. Red means stop."

"What," Raven yelled. "You can't possibly think that!"

"Of course Raven my boy," FoxMan said. "When you've eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

"But that's insane," Raven yelled.

"Shh," Foxman whispered as he placed his scissors on the wire. "Not while I'm cutting." FoxMan and Raven both held their breath as Foxman cut the wire. The bomb cut off and the two mean sighed in releif. "See," Naruto said. "No problem."

Suddenly the timer flared to life and began counting down incredibly fast. "Shit," Raven yelled. "What do we do now genius! Fox? Fox?" Raven turned to see Foxman was no longer kneeling next to him and was in fact running through the door and out of the room. Looking back at the bomb Raven whispered, "Oh bugger."

Raven leapt to his feet and sprinted out of the room. He was right behind Foxman as the two sprinted out of the deserted building just as the bomb went off, pulverizing the entire building and launching the two into the air.

Sometime later, Raven dug himself out of the rubble and sat up. He saw Foxman sitting next to him. Both men were ragged and dirty. "Well," Foxman said as he wiped dirt from his face. "That went better than expected didn't it?"

Raven just looked at him as he coughed out dirt. "Oh yeah," he said. "Just peachy."

Leaf City is home to some of the worlds most cunning and devious villains. In order to combat this menace the citizens need cunning and sophisticated heroes. Until they arrive….we'll just have to settle for these guys. Naruto Usumaki & Shikamaru Nara:

Foxman & Raven

"Saving the world one mistake at a time."

Story Type: 10 Part Series

Genre: Action, Adventure; Crime; Mystery, Romance, Friendship, Humor

Rated: T

Contains: Violence, Adult Language

Release Date: September 2012

* * *

The final war against Madara is over the Naruto was able to bring Sasuke home. Hurt and in need to rehabilitation Sakura has offered to allow Sasuke to remain at her home. It appears Sakura's life has become perfect. Or has it? Since Sasuke's return Naruto has been noticeably absent and acting strangely. Knowing that something is wrong and unable to get the answers from Naruto himself, Sakura is now on a mission to find answers. But will those answers save Team Seven or destroy it once and for all.

Ramen Studios Proudly presents….

Letting Go

Story Type: One Shot

Genre: Angst, Romance, Drama

Rated: K+

Contains: Nothing Bad

Release Date: October 2011

* * *

**Haruno Sakura is the most popular girl at Konoha High. She's got the looks.**

Kiba: "Dude, there's Sakura Haruno."

Choji: "She is so hot!"

**She's got the brains.**

Ino: "How are you able to maintain straight A's!

Sakura: "Luck I guess!"

**She's got the guy.**

Choji: "You think she'd ever be interested in a guy like me?"

Kiba: "Are you kidding? She's dating Uchiha Sasuke! The guys a god around here!"

Naruto: "He's no God. God has the capability of being kind to people."

**Her best friend, Naruto however is something else entirely.**

Shikamaru: "It's not that you not a great guy and all. It's just that…..well…."

Naruto: "Well what?"

Temari: "He's trying to say you're a goof ball!"

Naruto: "I'm a goof ball!"

Temari: "Well, perverted moron is the term the other girls at school like to use. I prefer goof ball."

Naruto: "Ahhhhhhh!"

**But when Sakura accidentally overhears Naruto's deepest secret…..**

Naruto: "I'm in love with her. I've been in love with her for longer than I can even remember."

**….Sakura will have to choose between the life she thought she needed …**

Ino: "You can't possibly be considering going on a date with that guy? It'd be social suicide!"

Sakura: "He's one of my best friends, Ino. Besides, Naruto's not that bad."

Ino: I wouldn't date him unless he were the last guy on earth! And there were no goats! Wait….are there goats?"

**…..and the life she thinks she may actually want.**

Sasuke: "You think you're better for Sakura than I am?"

Naruto: "Damn right!"

Sasuke: "All right asshole, you've got yourself a bet!"

**Ramen Studios proudly presents…..**

Kiba: "Dude, you have to nail Sakura tonight! Not just for yourself, but for every outcast who'll never bang a model."

Shikamaru: "That's pretty stupid."

Choji: "hahaha!"

**…A story for every guy who's ever wanted the impossible…..**

Naruto: "If I could get just one kiss, I'd die a happy man."

Shikamaru: "Well you would die, that's for sure. Cuz forty five seconds later Sasuke would rip out your arm and beat you to death with it."

Naruto: "Well, at least those forty five second would be awesome!"

**….every girl who's ever considered of the unbelievable ….**

Naruto: "What should I do?"

Jiraiya: "Bang every chick that you can get your hands on because once you leave high school you'll never see them again anyway."

Naruto: "I was asking you, what I should do about my home work."

Jiraiya: "Oh."

**…and every person who's ever dreamed of the incredible.**

Sakura: "Maybe I had the wrong idea about you."

Naruto: "Maybe you've got the wrong idea about everything."

_**"Seniors"**_

Kiba: "Dude we're seniors! This is the year we give the crap instead of taking it!"

Shikamaru: "Lord knows you're full of a lot of crap."

Kiba: "Ha, ha, ha, damn right! Wait….what?"

Story Type: 3 part mini series

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Rating: T

Contains: Adult Language, Adult Situations

Release Date: January 2013

* * *

Naruto Uzumaki and his friends have just graduated high school and to celebrate have decided to rent out a large villa on the beach. It was supposed to be their dream vacation before college. But when he learns that his villa has been double booked with his school rival, will his dream summer become a nightmare?

Now if Naruto wants to enjoy his last summer with his friends, he'll have to spend it with his enemy. But perhaps he'll learn that though some bad situations are only temporary, the bonds they create, can last a lifetime.

Ramen Studios proudly presents….

Naruto's Summer Daze

Story Type: 5 part mini series

Genre: Humor, Romance, Friendship

Rating: M

Contains: Adult Launguage; Sexual Situations, Alchohol Use

Release Date: May 2012

* * *

"All men dream; but not equally." Shikamaru said as he read from the scroll. "Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity; but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible. I did this." Shikamaru closed the scroll with a satisfied smile and looked at Naruto. "Well," he asked. "What do you think?"

"_I think," Naruto said. "That I have no clue what any of that means. What was the point of reading to me a quote from some two hundred year old anonymous theologian?"_

Shikamaru's expression grew dark and foreboding as he looked at Naruto. "Naruto I know you better than most," he said. "I know what you're planning to do. You're planning to search for the truth. I can't say I blame you. But you have also heard the warnings. The moral of that quote was simple. Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it."

**Konoha. Four years have passed since the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War and a great peace has settled across the land. Naruto Namikaze, the Seventh Hokage has helped lead his people to unprecedented prosperity.**

**But when an old enemy returns in search of an ancient power, a power that will reveal the truth behind the Namikaze clan while at the same time destroy the world, Namikaze Naruto must once again stand up, to shield the world once again.**

"Very well my young Lord," the old man said as the young man reached the door. "But know this. If you go, it will cost you much more than you may be willing to pay. And if you learn the truth you could unleash an evil far greater than the one you are trying to save it from. Heed my words, young lord. Some truths must never be known...Not even by you..."

**Find the Clues….**

**Follow the Path…..**

**Learn the truth…**

Ramen Studios Proudly presents a return to the Chronicles.

Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh

Book IV: Curse of the Namikaze

_**"Some truths must never be known!"**_

Story Type: Ongoing Series

Genre: Action, Adventure, Mystery, Romance, Humor.

Rating: T

Release Date: July 2012


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